Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has been honoured with the award of Global and African Central Banker of 2011.

The award was bestowed on him in London on Friday by The Banker, a publication of the Financial Times of London which has been in existence since 1926.

Mr Brian Caplen, editor of the magazine said Sanusi was honoured for his 'unpopular' intervention in the Nigerian banking sector.

"You may become very unpopular sometimes for the long term benefit of the country.

So, we thought that Sanusi and the actions he took in 2009 in intervening in the banking sector, taking them over and rescuing them, were very commendable.

The whole work-out process, together with the reforms that have been implemented, we thought were very courageous things to do, and he is a man of great vision for Nigeria's financial sector.

That is why we gave him the CBN Governor of the Year Award 2011, not only for Africa, but for the global Award as well," Caplen said.

Caplen explained further that the awards are bestowed only to CBN Governors and Finance Ministers across the globe.

"This is because the publication recognises the difficult job and very challenging decisions they have to take in some circumstances."

In his acceptance speech, Sanusi, who dedicated the award to the memory of President Umaru Yar'Adua, said the crisis in the banking sector at that time had reached the point of saying 'enough is enough.'

"Nigeria had reached that peak. It was not about Sanusi or CBN; it was about a country that finally said enough is enough.

"We live a chance given to us by history to live for those young people, a legacy and a nation that is better than the one we inherited," Sanusi said.

The ceremony, which attracted a huge turnout of Nigerians and friends, included the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Odein Ajumogobia, the Oba of Lagos, Rewane Akiolu, the Awujale of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Adetona, businessman Aliko Dangote and some chief executives of banks.

Others included Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora Matters; Bianca Ojukwu, Nigeria's Acting High Commissioner to the UK; Dozie Nwanna and Nigeria's famous UK-based musician; Patti Boulaye.