Grace Ashiru
JP Morgan, the biggest bank in the United States and the world based on market capitalization, now had a regional office in Nairobi, Kenya.
The American banking giant is present in Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, and Kenya. These countries are referred to as “the big four” because of their highly developed digital ecosystems. This move further emphasizes the African ambitions of the American banking behemoth. The history of J.P. Morgan in Nigeria and Egypt can be traced back to 1960 and 1979, respectively, although the bank has only recently begun operations in South Africa.
The bank’s new regional headquarters in Nairobi will serve as the location from which it will direct its activities and operations in East Africa. This transition took place over five years due to regulatory concerns, as stated in an interview with the CEO of the bank, Jamie Dimon, that was reposted on Kenyan Wall Streets in 2018. During the interview, Dimon mentioned that the bank had recruited a specialized group of bankers to help coordinate and expand the firm’s ties in Africa, particularly in Kenya and Ghana.
Dimon said that the bank was interested in expanding its services and going after major international companies that aren’t adequately served by local investment banking businesses because they don’t know how to handle big deals.
Kenya’s President William Ruto was quoted as saying that this was “a vote for Kenya’s growing success in the global marketplace.” Daniel Zelikow, who is the vice-chairman of the bank and global head of the public sector group, is said to have met with Ruto and talked about how development finance needs to take climate change into account.
JP Morgan, which is in 100 countries worldwide and has an EMEA headquarters in London, has said it wants to help the region’s economy grow sustainably.
Based on the development work the bank has done on the continent, it is predicted that its move into East Africa will create jobs, assist in growing sustainable local businesses, and bring more foreign investment into the country.
