A video by the African Development Bank Group, highlighting Bank president Akinwumi A. Adesina’s commitment to gender equality in Africa, has been named a “Bronze Winner” recipient in the 46th Annual Telly Awards and a “Gold Winner” in the 2025 AVA Digital Awards.
The two international competitions recognise excellence in communications.
The bank’s award-winning online video entry, featuring Adesina, who was honoured as a UN Women #HeForShe champion, was showcased during the 2024 United Nations General Assembly as part of a celebration of Adesina and other global champions of gender equality.
The two awards bring the total number of international honours won by AfDB communications related to agriculture, human, and social development in the last decade to 11.
The Telly Awards, which honour achievement in video and television across all screens, received more than 12,000 submissions from five continents. Other winners this year include Pixar Animation Studios, ESPN, LinkedIn and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
“I am blown away by this year’s submissions. The Tellys are unique in our ability to lift up truly excellent video work, no matter the platform, the screen or the method of production,” said Telly Awards managing director Amanda Needham.
The bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) produced the 75-second video to highlight some of Adesina’s gender achievements, including the creation of AFAWA, which has disbursed more than $1.33 billion in financing through 185 financial institution partners to women-led businesses in 45 African countries.
Earlier in 2025, the U.S.-based Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals presented the Bank Group with a gold AVA Digital Award in its short-form web video tribute category.
The awards celebrate exceptional work by creative professionals involved in the concept, direction, design and production of media that advances digital communication.
In a February 2025 statement about the award, the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals congratulated the AfDB Group for its tribute video honouring the bank’s Adesina’s commitment to advancing gender.
“We aimed to succinctly visualise how President Adesina made mainstreaming gender central to his African Development Bank Group presidency, including hearing from women who have benefitted from initiatives created by the twice-elected leader of the Bank Group. We are thrilled to be recognised by the Telly Awards and AVA Digital Awards,” said Dr. Beth Dunford, the Bank’s Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development.
“Africa’s women entrepreneurs are the engines of African economies. Our digital communications help showcase the real-world impact of how AFAWA is scaling up access to finance to the continent’s women-led businesses – and demonstrates how the Bank is transforming demographic into dividend,” said Dr. Jemimah Njuki, the Bank’s Director for Gender, Women and Civil Society.
