A book written by former Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Arunma Oteh has been named the winner of the BCA Business Book of the Year Award 2025.

The book titled ‘All Hands on Deck: Unleash prosperity through world-class capital markets’ espoused the critical role of capital markets and the need for integrated, well-functioning capital markets in driving Africa’s development.

The award was presented at a ceremony held at the Institute of Directors in London, where the winner received a trophy and a cash prize of $10,000.

The Business Council for Africa is an organisation dedicated to fostering economic growth, trade, and investment in Africa with a focus on promoting business excellence and collaboration.

The runner-up prize went to ‘Africonomics: A History of Western Ignorance, a provocative critique of Western economic policies towards Africa,’ which the judges praised for exposing the persistent paternalism and misconceptions that continue to undermine the continent’s progress.

The second runner-up, Riding the Storm: The Untold Story of Africa’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, recounts Africa’s struggle to secure vaccines and other essential goods during the COVID-19 pandemic. The judges commended the book for offering a powerful African perspective on how the continent came together when everyone else retreated, showcasing the continent’s resilience and potential when acting collectively.

The runners-up received cash prizes of $5,000 and $2,500, respectively.

The judging panel comprised African business and thought leaders, as well as media executives: Chairperson of BCA, Arnold Ekpe; Chair of the Judging Committee, Chris Ogbechie; former Dean of Lagos Business School, Terhas Berhe; Managing Director and Founder of Brand Communications, Omar Ben Yedder; Publisher of African Business and New African magazine, Moky Makura; CEO of AfricaNoFilter, Anver Versi; and Editor of New African and African Banker magazine.

Commenting on the awards, Ekpe said, “We are still far from where we would like to be in terms of books that help us better understand the business landscape on the continent, which is dynamic and thriving. We hope the publicity generated by the BCA award and the valuable cash prizes will go a very long way to encourage more writers and business people to undertake the journey and give more publishers the confidence they need to push the books beyond the often-narrow confines.”

The publisher of African Business magazine, Omar Ben Yedder, in his comments, noted that the prize not only recognises excellence in business writing but also continues to extend the conversations around African business and enterprise.

“Given the original angles one gets from African writers who project different worldviews and respond to different cultural forces, we should, in time, find a niche for African business writing that could become as popular as African music and fiction. These awards are therefore an invaluable springboard for an exciting new departure in African literature,” he said.

The award ceremony also featured the Kay Whiteman Memorial Lecture. Whiteman was a journalist who dedicated his life to covering African affairs. This year’s guest speaker was the non-executive chairman of Ecobank, Mr. Papa Ndiaye.