By Grace Alegba

The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) on Saturday said it has begun process toward building a banking school to further enhance professionalism and financial ethics in the banking and financial sectors.

The institute said the project was in addition to its ongoing capacity building certification programmes to promote ethics and professionalism in the sector.

Ken Opara, President/Chairman of Council, CIBN, said this while making an opening speech at the hybrid 2024 Graduates’ Induction and Prize Awards Day (Stream1) of the institute.

The event which saw to the induction of 485 people had members and inductees from viewing centres across the 36 states of the federation in attendance.

Opara said in recent years, the Financial Services Industry had faced numerous challenges and controversies, hence, the need for renewed focus on ethics and professionalism.

He said instances of unethical behaviour, regulatory violations, and breaches of trust had tainted the reputation of the industry and weakened public confidence.

He said high-profile cases of misconduct and infractions had resulted in financial losses and injured the reputation of financial institutions and professionals.

“In response to this challenge, the Institute has implemented a mandatory annual Ethics Compliance Certification Programme, which is being deployed through the CIBN e-Learning Platform for staff of banks.

“The purpose of this certification is not only to address specific cases of misconduct but also to ensure that the practice of banking in Nigeria aligns with global standards as prescribed by the Global Banking Education Standards Board (GBESB).

“By fostering a culture of ethical conduct and continuous learning, we can uphold the integrity of our profession and enhance trust and confidence in the financial services sector.

“Another critical initiative of the institute which will help drive this crusade is the human capital development project.

“This will culminate in the establishment of a banking school which will among other things harp on entrenching ethics and professionalism among practitioners.

“The Governing Council will in the days ahead constitute the Board of that banking school to superintend on the project,” he said.

Opara said the theme of the programme, “Ethics and Professionalism: A Prerequisite for Building Sustainable Careers and Institutions” aligned with the core values of the institute and the banking profession.

He said ethics and professionalism were important in retaining trust, credibility, and sustainability of the banking industry in an era of technological advancements, evolving regulatory landscapes, and dynamic market conditions.

The CIBN boss also reeled out benefits of professionalism, adding that, it required continuous learning and self development for career progression and gaining public trust.

“Today, we shall be inducting a total of 485 graduates, comprising eighteen (18) from the CBMBA route, four (4) from the MSc/ACIB route, 33 from the collaboration with Lagos Business School on Chartered Bankers route, 281 from the regular examination route, and149 candidates as Microfinance Certified Bankers,” he said.

He congratulated inductees, reassured them of CIBN’s commitment and expressed confidence that their knowledge, skills, and ethical values will contribute to growth, development, and sustainability of the financial services in Nigeria and globally.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Oluyomi Abayomi, commended the capacity building tenacity of the CIBN  having impact across Africa.

Abayomi thanked the institute for supporting the monetary policy of the government and urged the inductees to shun any form of enticement or inducement that could make them engage in corruption.

The Guest Speaker, Mr Abubakar Suleiman, stressed the need to make integrity and credibility the best reasons for entering the banking profession.

He said some people join the profession to earn a living, some for the prestige, entrepreneurship;  and the miscreants who come with intentions to steal or dupe customers.

Suleiman, Managing Director/CEO, Sterling Bank Plc, said while some join banking profession with different motives, “some bankers see themselves as nation builders and they use banking as a platform”.

He urged bankers to use the profession as a platform for transitioning into other higher national responsibilities while maintaining ethical standards.

“Your personal ethics is going to be defined by your intentions,” he said.

He urged the inductees “to have clarity of purpose”, hold the institute in high esteem and uphold public trust. (NAN)

Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa

By Grace Alegba

Mr Bolaji Lawal, Managing Director/Regional Executive of Ecobank Nigeria, has highlighted the pivotal role of the creative sector in Nigeria’s economic revival.

Lawal said this at the introduction of the +234art fair organised by Ecobank, AFC & Soto Gallery at the bank’s headquarters to newsmen on Thursday in Lagos.

He said that the banking industry four years ago, in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee, recognised the potential of the creative industry as a catalyst for economic transformation.

Lawal said that banks collectively agreed that the creative sector could serve as a springboard for revitalising the Nigerian economy because of its significant contributions to national development.

According to him, Nigerian banks, through the Bankers’ Committee, invested in revamping the National Art Theatre, recognising the power of empowering individuals within the sector to drive economic growth.

Lawal emphasised that the vast potential within Nigeria’s population, said over 100 million individuals and out of which approximately 60 million reside in urban areas and a significant portion engaged in informal businesses.

He stressed the need to support and empower these entrepreneurs to harness their skills to foster economic sustainability and provide decent livelihoods.

Drawing attention to the success stories of artists like Wizkid and Burna Boy, Lawal underscored the potential for exponential growth if similar opportunities were extended to more people in the sector.

He noted that behind every successful artist, there exists a network of individuals, including managers, publicists, and assistants, whose livelihoods also depend on the success of the creative industry.

“We believe that if we give artists and creatives across the spectrum, they can turn around the economy. We have another population of over 100 million and within the urban area, about 60 million. For those who formerly employed, they’re less than 20 million. So, you have about 40 million people in business with an economic cycle of 24 hours. They just run their own business.

“Now, if we don’t take care of that sector and grow it, we don’t have an economy. The people with this type, they’re not really the core Nigerians. There are so many more people outside.

“But, how can we empower them to work? It’s just their skills. And to earn a livelihood that is decent. So, if we can instigate, empower and drive that, then the economy becomes a lot more viable. Look at Wizkid and Burna Boy. Just with their voices, they are earning millions.

“Now, imagine if we have 5,000 or 10,000 or 20,000. Look, for every successful artist, there are about 50 people working behind them. Supporting them. You have the manager, you have the publicist, and you have the PA.

“So, if we bring out more successful creatives, then we need to solve some of the problems that we have in the country. And we would also earn further currency,” he said.

Responding to inquiries about plans to expand support to other creatives such as content creation and digital art, Lawal expressed optimism, saying, “We are taking significant strides, and the market will ultimately determine the success of our endeavours.

“By embracing digital art and exploring various creative avenues, we can unlock further economic opportunities and address pressing challenges facing our nation.”

Lawal along said that the initiative was spearheaded by collaborative efforts between the local community and financial institutions like AFC, AAP, Chase, and Chida.

According to him, AFC became part of the initiative as a sponsor because it has the same values and aspirations with other involved partners.

Meanwhile, Mrs Tola Akerele, founder Soto Gallery and Curator, +234 Art Fair, also spoke on the transformative potential of the creative sector in driving economic revitalisation.

With a focus on empowering emerging artists to become international earners, Akerele said that the initiative aimed to bolster the arts economy and uplift communities.

She said that within the past eight years, the platform, supporting emerging artists, had catalysed remarkable growth, with many participants transitioning to global exhibitions.

She said that this underscored the impact of providing resources and opportunities for artistic development.

“And now, they’re exhibiting globally. So, it may look like a small beginning, but actually, with all the tools we’re giving them, they can really become very empowered and contribute to the arts economy, which is actually quite a huge one globally,” she noted.

On how the emerging artists were selected, she explained that they were picked not because they were young or old but because they were never showcased internationally.

She said that the process for selection was through their subscription to a podcast across several social media in January.

“So, it’s all being curated. We selected the artists. Because we’re a gallery, we know the quality of the work and the potential of the artists.

“So, there was a call that was done initially back in January. And then from that call, we looked at all the works that were submitted and then made a selection from there, ” she added.

The 10-day fair, which begins on Friday, March 23, curates a diverse selection of artists, including digital art.

With 232 artists exhibiting works ranging from affordable to high-value pieces, the initiative aims to democratise access to art.

Organisers emphasised that while perfection may not be the immediate goal, the initiative represents a crucial step towards realising the transformative potential of the creative economy.

Curated by Soto Gallery, the collaborative approach by Ecobank and AFC will help to catalyse the creative sector by enabling emerging artists to achieve recognition and livelihoods through art sales locally and internationally.

Alongside showcasing artwork, +234Art Fair will focus on enhancing the creative skills of participating artists through workshops with established local and international artists.

The exhibition’s title, ‘+234Art’, combines Nigeria’s country dialing code with the concept of art to signpost a thorough exposition of regional art and how it interacts with the larger art community across the continent and beyond. (NAN)

Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa

By Grace Alegba

The First Bank of Nigeria Ltd. has assured its customers of opportunities to experience world-class innovative banking services through the bank’s Digital Xperience centres.

First Bank Managing Director, Adeshola Adeduntan, announced this at the inauguration of the bank’s Digital Xperience centre in Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday.

The bank noted that the centre would be the fourth fully automated branch to give customers the desired banking experience.

It also said that the Ikoyi centre “is a state-of-the-art hub completely automated and made interactive for self-service to eliminate need for tellers or human staff.

“The centre is equipped with ATMs, card issuance stand, a humanoid robot and teller cash recycler”.

The managing director said that First Bank had also begun technological revolution to give customers seamless banking experience.

He said that the Banana Island First Bank Digital Xperience centre would deliver a world-class self-service to customers.

Adeduntan noted that the first three branches were located in Victoria Island, Ibadan and Abuja.

He said that plans were ongoing to roll out additional five branches in choice and strategic locations across the nation before the end of 2024.

“The pillar of the transformation of the bank that we started about seven, eight years ago is investment in technology and deployment of technology to exceed our customers expectations consistently.

“At the heart of our transformation is customers, because we believe that the primary reason why we have been successful over the last 130 years is because we focused on our customers and that focus has not changed.

“Specifically, we have been rolling out the Digital Xperience centres where our customers can walk into a comfortable location of this nature, conduct or transact with us without any human intervention,” he said.

He said that feedback from previous locations were impressive and expressed hope that individuals living in Banana Island and its neighbourhood would take advantage of the centre.

Speaking on the digital edge, he said that customers could issue digital cards themselves.

Mr Chuma Ezirim, the Group Executive, E-Business and Retail Products Division of the bank, said that the bank was considering cloud technology as an important option to guide against internet cuts.

Ezirim said that the inauguration of the Digital Xperience centre was part of strategies to take banking to the door step of customers and come up with solutions to help customers in easier business transactions.

Mr Olusola Odukoya,  General Manager, Banana Island Estate, thanked the bank for opening a Digital Xperience centre in the area.

Also, Mr Callistus Obetta, the Group Executive, Technology, Digital Innovations and Banking Services of the bank, said that beyond automation, the centre provided ambient welcoming environment for users.

Obetta said that world leading cutting edge security and digital biometric authentications were included in backend servers to ensure customers’ funds safety. (NAN)

Edited by Kayode Olaitan