FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
London, UK — African Leadership Magazine (UK), organisers of the Persons of the Year (POTY) 2026 Awards, have announced Mme Mariama Moussa Boussi, Chief Executive Officer of Banque Agricole du Niger (BAGRI), as a recipient of the African Agri-Finance CEO of the Year Award.
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The award recognises Mme Boussi’s leadership in deploying agricultural finance as a lever for food security, rural livelihoods, and economic resilience in Niger—one of Africa’s most agriculture-dependent and climate-exposed economies.
BAGRI sits at the heart of Niger’s development finance architecture, mandated to support farmers, cooperatives, agri-SMEs, and value-chain actors across crops, livestock, processing, and agricultural trade. With agriculture employing a significant share of the population, the institution’s role is pivotal in addressing financing gaps, climate risks, and structural constraints that limit productivity and growth.
Since assuming office, Mme Boussi has led a strategic repositioning of BAGRI, strengthening its impact orientation while reinforcing financial discipline. Her tenure has focused on expanding access to credit for smallholder farmers and agri-enterprises, improving product suitability to seasonal cash flows, and maintaining prudent risk management in a challenging operating environment.
Under her leadership, BAGRI has expanded its agricultural lending footprint, increased financing to priority value chains, and broadened outreach to underserved segments, including women-led and youth-driven agribusinesses. Internal indicators point to growth in the agricultural loan portfolio and improved access to working and investment capital in rural and semi-urban communities.
Mme Boussi has also prioritised institutional strengthening, enhancing governance, credit appraisal, and monitoring frameworks tailored to agricultural production cycles and climate variability. These reforms have improved the effectiveness of BAGRI’s financing instruments and their alignment with on-the-ground realities.
Beyond the balance sheet, her leadership emphasises partnerships and ecosystem development, engaging government agencies, development partners, farmer organisations, and technical institutions. These collaborations have advanced blended-finance solutions, capacity-building initiatives, and risk-sharing mechanisms that de-risk agricultural investment and bolster sector resilience.
The African Agri-Finance CEO of the Year Award honours leaders who demonstrate how finance can catalyse agricultural transformation and inclusive growth. Mme Boussi’s recognition reflects leadership that balances developmental mandate with institutional sustainability—delivering measurable outcomes where they matter most.
Previous POTY honourees include H.E. Julius Maada Bio, H.E. Philip Davis, Mr. Sim Tshabalala, Dr. Olusegun Alebiosu, Mr. Daniel Asiedu, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, and Mo Ibrahim, underscoring the Magazine’s focus on impact-driven leadership.
As African countries intensify efforts to strengthen food systems, Mme Mariama Moussa Boussi stands among leaders whose influence is measured by the systems they build, the communities they empower, and the resilience they help unlock.
