Ramadan fasting month was relatively made easy for many in Lagos because Seyi and Layal Tinubu founded Noella Foundation in partnership with Bolajoko Fadipe owned Food Clique and BUA group are doing a wonderful job. The team is helping in no small way the their collaboration which has gone a long way in reducing the impact of the hardship in town on those fasting by lessening the burden of looking for what to break with on faithfuls by providing free daily Iftar meals (the evening meal with which Muslims end daily Ramadan fast at sunset) at selected locations across the State.
The idea which was announced by Noella Foundation in partnership with Food Clique at the beginning of the fast was later supported by Abdul-Samad Rabiu owned BUA Group is currently at the last count feeding over 6,000 faithful who are likely to have been finding it difficult to conveniently provide both Sahur (the meal consumed daily early in the morning by Muslims before fasting, during the Islamic month of Ramadan. The meal is eaten before fajr prayer) and Iftar because of the effect of COVID-19 forced lockdown on individuals’ economy.
At the moment processed daily Iftar meals being distributed by the team is in excess of 6,000 in different locations across Lagos State. This is also not stopping the continuous distribution of the COVID-19 Emergency FoodBox Initiative support which is to give palliatives to those who are finding it difficult during the Corona Virus forced lockdown and are still not on the list of essential service providers the later partial lockdown opening order of the government granted right to go back to work. They have till date been able to give more than 700,000 meals to more than 23,000 persons across the State.
It is also important to know that Noella Foundation’s relationship with Food Clique has been dated back to late 2018 when the Bolajoko Fadipe owned NGO won Seyi Tinubu’s Christmas Cash Prize giveaway for their effort towards eradicating hunger and they has since then work together on several activities long before their recent one on the Covid-19 ordered lockdown which has increased the numbers of residents of Lagos State exposed to the pang of hunger. The team had worked and likely still working together on the monthly community kitchen project. The idea which will see their team visit various communities in Lagos State every last Saturday of the month to erect a their kitchen where they feeds the needy in the area good, sumptuous and nutritious food in hygiene and clean environments.
The daily Iftar meal project is however a month specialized project aimed to cushion the effect of the economic hardship caused by the outbreak of the pandemic on the fasting faithful during this Ramadan period and it is currently restricted to people in Èbúté Mẹtta, Oshodi, Surulere, Awoyokun community of Onipanu, Onikoyi Road Ikoyi, and Parkview, with the possibility of extending it to other areas before the fasting ends.
There’s a new pair of musical duo in town, Brazil based identical twins of Nigerian descent who’re the next entertainment bomb, waiting to explode.
When this talented duo will eventually be standing before God at the end of this life, they might not have a single bit of their talents left, and could tell the creator, ‘we’ve used everything you gave us., Yes, they’re this passionate about life, career and are being success driven by determination.
The story of Taiwo and Kehinde Afolabi is such an interesting episode worth trying out in a movie script. The identical twins who have passion for humanity are a bunch of talents who have crisscrossed almost a few career fields before taking a dramatic entrance into the showbiz world.
According to the identical twins who live in Brazil, “we’ve always known we’ll end up doing music but the need to satisfy our parents’ career plans informed our early adventures in other fields”, they confessed.
The Afolabi Twins who have decided to honour their Brazilian godfather’s name, Diaz as stage name speak about 4 international languages-Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese and English, “we started life, after our secondary school education by studying Japanese language for a year in Nigeria with the hopes of moving to Japan for further studies but we later jettisoned the idea when we wrote JAMB and got admission at the University of Ilorin for International Studies.
The plan changed again when one of the duo, Taiwo who’s a talented footballer got admission, through a sponsor, into a football academy in Brazil to pursue her ambition as a foreign footballer. She was later signed to play for Guarani FC and Jaguariuna FC, both teams in Sao Paulo State before her sister, Kehinde joined her 7 months later.
Their quests for knowledge informed another decision to go back to school to study International Relations and Political Science before floating an NGO, Youths Without Barriers, a nonprofit making organization that became a human rights organization representing Nigerians in Brazilian prisons helping them to get defense lawyers and elaborate projects to immerse immigrants into the Brazilian system.
The talented duo who’ll soon drop their debut single composes and performs songs for human rights, the environment, girls and women’s causes.
Since its establishment in 1894, FirstBank has consistently built relationships with her customers, focusing on the fundamentals of good corporate governance, strong liquidity, optimised risk management and effective leadership. These, amongst others, are the reasons the Bank has dominated the financial market for over 126 years.
The Bank has led the financing of private investment in infrastructural development in the Nigerian economy by playing key roles in the Federal Government’s privatisation and commercialization schemes, and entrenchment of the cashless policy which gave rise to electronic cards being a veritable entity in the day to day transactions among the bank’s customers. Consequently, the use of its wide range of cards, developed with the ‘man on the move’ in mind, come with far reaching benefits and rewards, connecting the remotest of places even as the world is plagued by the novel Corona virus disease today.
The world as we know it today, is a global village, and its connectivity is at the tip of an individual’s finger. That aside, it also revolves around the use of ‘ordinary’ but highly customised cards and FirstBank is a confirmed Leader in this space. There’s no gainsaying the fact that for 126 years and counting, FirstBank, Nigeria’s premier bank, with accolades and awards trailing its existence, has continued to blaze the trail in certainly every financial innovation. And as the name signifies, has continued to be the first in virtually everything banking and finance. Little wonder that in December 2015 and May 2016, FirstBank was named the first financial institution in the country to achieve sustained alternative channels transaction volumes of 100 million transactions. Subsequently in 2017, the Bank also attained the Milestone of 10million card base, a feat that is first of its kind in West Africa and Second in Africa.
There is hardly any banking innovation, which is not traced to the company that has overtime woven itself into the very fabric of the society. Commenting on FirstBank’s strides, the Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, disclosed that the bank’s 53, 000 agents across the country processed about N512 billion worth of transactions with differing values while the lockdown lasted. He noted that the bank was “able to actively support her customers, their families and businesses through these challenging times.” This is nothing short of the FirstBank advantage.
Adeduntan reiterated the faith Nigerians have in the use of FirstBank cards, saying that during the period of the lockdown, Nigerians with FirstBank cards used them 105 million times to make payments or withdrawals worth about N1.18 Trillion as they relied on the Bank to settle their banking needs. In addition, the Bank’s CEO noted that approximately 12.6 million withdrawals to the tune of N156 billion were carried out across FirstBank’s ATMs nationwide.
“Our customers made transfers over 106 million times with a total value of about N8.18 Trillion across our digital channels. We have also recorded over 275,000 new sign-ups to alternative channels covering our Firstmobile, USSD and First-Online platforms,” the CEO informed.
While calling on lovers of stress-free banking to get on board, the FirstBank CEO further assured existing customers of the bank’s relentless efforts to ensure that banking transactions continue seamlessly, adding that COVID-19 will not slow down her activities and efforts at staying true to her brand promise to her customers.
FirstBank cards come in a wide range of categories, each fulfilling tasks that are better imagined, but nevertheless are flexible and offer comfort, stress-free banking and wholesome peace of mind. It is therefore not a coincidence, that FirstBank is and remains Nigeria’s highest card transacting bank; a product of carefully thought out process, hard work and the quest to keep its customers first in all things. This is especially important at a time when movement and business activities were largely hampered by the lockdown, with the maintenance of social distance and the potential increase in the use of the Bank’s alternative channels – which is facilitated by its cards – for various transactions and business activities, thus staying safe to win the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The range of cards available to customers of FirstBank are categorised into three broad groups, viz; DEBIT, CREDIT and PREPAID Cards. The grouping covers outstanding cards offerings such as Naira MasterCard, Verve Card and the pioneering Visa Multi-Currency Card. Others are Expressions MasterCard, Platinum MasterCard, Visa Infinite Credit Card, Visa Gold Credit Card, Naira Credit Cards (Visa Classic and Platinum), Visa Prepaid Card and Verve Prepaid Card.
FirstBank’s Naira MasterCard & Verve Card are Secured by Chip & PIN technology with local POS/Web limit increase available upon request. The Naira denominated MasterCard comes with various benefits such as online purchases, bills payments and cash withdrawals at ATMs world-wide. The various transaction limit(s) on Naira MasterCard issued by the Bank are N150,000 for ATM transactions, N2,500,000 for POS and N1,000,000 for Web transactions.
The FirstBank Verve Debit Card works with Chip and PIN technology to secure transactions. It allows the cardholder to conveniently pay for goods and services and is accepted by all ATMs, POS, Web, Mobile, Kiosk, and Bank Branch connected to the Interswitch network in Nigeria. It is available to all account holders and enables daily transaction limits of N150,000, and N500,000 on ATM and POS channels respectively. Customers can transact up to N1 million on the Web in a single transaction.
FirstBank cards also offer the Card Protection Transactions feature, which allows the cardholder to activate or deactivate it for all types of transactions, channels and locations, through the Card-in-Control Service on the Firstmobile app. The steps are few and simple: On the Firstmobile app, go to Self Service > Card Services and choose card type (Debit, Credit, or Prepaid) to be activated or deactivated.
Another card innovation service by FirstBank is the Visa Gold Card, which offers higher daily spending capacity and limit on ATM, POS and Web. With the Visa Gold Card, the customer is assured of $1,000 daily ATM withdrawal, $10,000 POS transaction and $5,000 on the Web at any location around the world. It is a dollar denominated international Premium Credit Card issued in partnership with Visa International.
Moreso, it guarantees access to international emergency services such as Emergency Card Replacement & Emergency Cash Advance in situations where the card gets lost or damaged. The Visa Gold card comes handy when making airline bookings with its smooth seamless purchase options.
Yet another, among the FirstBank’s super cards, is VISA Debit Multi-Currency Card. It is by all intent and purpose, the first of its kind to be offered by any financial institution in Nigeria. It is an enhancement to the existing Visa Debit Dual Currency card and can be linked to any or all NAIRA, USD, EURO and GBP accounts. It is an international card with Chip and PIN technology which can be used to make payment anywhere in the world and across all channels – ATMs, POS & Web. With the Visa Debit Multi-Currency card, cardholders can make daily withdrawals to the tune of N150,000 (local) and $1,000 (international) from the ATM. However, on the Web, a total of N1,000,000 is permitted locally while $6,250 is allowed on the international corridor daily. POS transaction limit is N2,500,000 (local) and $2,500 (international).
The Platinum Debit MasterCard is a premium Debit Card denominated in Naira. It is linked directly to a customer’s Naira denominated Current and/or Savings account. It offers a convenient alternative to the use of cash, and cheques by giving direct access to funds in cardholders’ accounts across all channels like ATM, POS, and WEB etc.
Like other card types, its transactions are easily monitored via the FirstBank FirstMobile App or FirstBank Internet Banking service and offers 24-hour access support for all card-related complaints through First Contact. It is a card linked to a Naira denominated account, and it is valid for three years.
It is designed to suit the lifestyle of senior and management executives of multinational companies and leaders across various industries and sector of the global economy. Its daily limits include; ATM: N300,000; POS: N3million; Web: N2,000,000 as well as Cross-border TXN limit: $500 monthly.
For a brand that has consistently remained on top of its game, FirstBank Cards have received global recognition, as well as multiple honour for its reliable and trusted services.
Speaking further, Adeduntan highlighted that the contactless capability of the bank’s Visa and MasterCards support less human-to-human contact in executing transactions, in the same way that the Debit Cards have remained the base channel for self-onboarding to any digital channel such as USSD, Firstmobile, FirstOnline etc. It is therefore, imperative that customers get a Debit Card because of its peculiar nature to get enrolled on FirstBank’s digital channel for the best of services.
FirstBank’s benevolence did not end with making cards available to customers, but has initiated value added services attached to the cards including ‘discount at Merchants location such as Jumia Friday, Health Plus, among others. These are, without an iota of doubt, exclusive to FirstBank cardholders. This is why you must get your card(s) if you are yet to. Email us at firstcontact@firstbanknigeria.com, or call your Relationship Manager/Private Banker for whatever card options you require.
Apparently misconstruing the bank MD/CEO’s core message, the media recently alleged that Access Bank Plc, one of Africa’s largest retail bank by retail customer base was embarking on mass sack of workers and closure of branches. This ‘misinformation’ has been appropriately repudiated. But with traditional business models and banking metrics being upended by the post-Covid-19 global operating environment, only audacious innovators in the sector can remain relevant, writes Sani Ahmed.
Mr Herbert Wigwe
In his recent best-selling book, “The Age of Agile”, Steve Denning, former program director of knowledge management at the World Bank, discusses a “Copernican revolution” of management that puts the customer at the center, rather than the firm. It was the Polish astronomer Nicolas Copernicus who independently proposed the theory that the Earth revolved around the Sun, not vice versa, a blasphemous idea in the 16th century.
Clearly, banking remains a relationships business. For ages, banks have tried to leverage that relationship to grow and maximize shareholder return. Because of her emphasis on the long term, Access Bank Group, one of Africa’s largest retail banks by retail customer base with proven risk management and capital management capabilities apparently may make decisions and weigh tradeoffs differently from much of her industry competition. This requires an organisational cultural transformation, as Denning argues, and especially at banks that have long been driven by traditional metrics.
Denning who also authored “The Leader’s Guide To Radical Management,” and was Visiting Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford University, UK certainly has his point, especially as the Covid-19 pandemic massively disrupts conventional business playbooks and upends the global economy.
It is against the background of these existential uncertainties and daunting global economic challenges spawned by the new coronavirus scourge that the media reported alleged plans by Access Bank Plc to sack 75 per cent of its staff and shut down 300 branches. Good a thing, the bank has repudiated the allegations as unfounded.
In a statement signed by Mr. Sunday Ekwochi, its Company Secretary, posted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) website, the bank clarified that the closure of a bank branch was an action that required the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
According to the bank, it has not applied for nor obtained the approval of CBN for the closure of its branches as widely speculated. “The bank has only suspended operations in some branches following the directive by the CBN. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, we suspended in-branch operations at different locations as directed by the CBN and in line with business continuity plans at vulnerable spots; whilst we continued to provide services through our alternative digital platforms,” it stated.
Further the bank stated that, “In line with the phased re-opening of the economy effective May 4 (last week), following the Presidential directives, we will be resuming in-branch services in some of our affected branches in a programmed manner to ensure the health and safety of our employees and customers.
“This is also necessary to provide relevant contingency should there be any incident arising from the pandemic. We deny in its entirety the baseless and twisted speculation that the bank is sacking 75 per cent of its workforce.”
It noted that based on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, not all its branches would be fully open for in-branch services until later in the year. “This has made it impossible for many of our outsourced workers to perform duties as usual. We have commenced engagement with various stakeholders with a view to ensuring that they provide the relevant services and optimum manpower as may be required by the bank on an on-going basis,” it added.
The bank, however, assured its esteemed stakeholders that it would continue to ensure that its actions and decisions are guided by fairness, justice, equity and good conscience.
It must be noted however that the bank like any other company has the right to review its operational cost economic realities, especially in post COVID era that has already begun to redefine how businesses operate or will operate going forward. Since its merger with ailing Diamond Bank, Access has neither laid off workers nor closed branches. There is no doubt the bank must at some point have to cut branch proximity to reduce cost. For instance where Access Bank and defunct Diamond Bank were previously operating in close proximity, sometimes a few yards apart, is it economically wise to still retain the two branches now that the two have become one? Of course not. It only make business sense to consolidate the two branches into one to reduce cost. The bank is first and foremost a business concern that must take decisions based on what it assesses it’s in its best business interest. It is not a charity organization but a commercial enterprise.
It was in bad faith in the extreme for some hideous staff to record the internal strategy deliberation and conversation between the Managing Director and senior staff and deliberately twist it out of context to misinform the public to create a social media storm. To many Mr Wigwe was only showing transparency in his handling of issues the bank is bound to address at some point. Transparency is his second nature a virtue lacking in many people in managerial positions across the country.
Wigwe did the right thing in addressing the issues and being transparent about it. He led by personal example and took a 40 percent pay cut.
Currently, many financial institutions world-wide are reviewing banking models. Indeed, more recently the CEO of U.K lender, Barclays Bank says after COVID-19, banking models have changed forever as people get used to working digitally from home making brick and mortar and big offices models unsustainable going forward. In effect, modern banking, not to talk of post covid-19 banking will de-emphasis physical structures and run more on digital templates, platforms and footprints.
From THISDAY sources, it was this new normal that strategic thinking Access CEO Herbert Wigwe attempted to discuss with his financial institution’s staff when clips of his presentation was altered to portray him as going for mass sack of employees. Noted Amaechi Okobi, Head of the banks Corporate Communications, “the presentation was doctored to give a wrong impression and shared on social media in an attempt to blackmail the bank. We are reviewing all options as we need to support all staff through these challenging times while ensuring efficiency and value in our new normal…We will continue to support all staff and stakeholders.”
Access Bank CEO Herbert Wigwe is not the kind of professional who stays tamely at the receiving end of received policy prescriptions. He covets knowledge-driven innovations, proactive engagement with stake-holders, policy makers, fluid operating environments and sure-footed action. These dimensions are boldly mirrored in his nimble leadership of one of the continent’s banking behemoths.
He believes it was because of a lack of appropriate adaptive response to powerful environmental changes eons ago that doomed the lumbering dinosaurs which then roamed the earth. To Wigwe, the Access Bank under his watch is no dinosaur.
Access Bank Plc. is a leading full-service commercial Bank operating through a network of more than 600 branches and service outlets, spanning three continents, 12 countries and 31 million customers. The Bank employs 28,000 people in its operations in Nigeria and has subsidiaries in Sub-Saharan Africa and the United Kingdom (with a branch in Dubai, UAE) and representative offices in China, Lebanon and India.
Listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange since 1998, Access Bank is a diversified financial institution which combines a strong retail customer franchise and digital platform with deep corporate banking expertise and proven risk management and capital management capabilities. The Bank serves its various markets through four business segments: Retail, Business, Commercial and Corporate. The Bank has over 900,000 shareholders (including several Nigerian and International Institutional Investors) and has enjoyed what is arguably Africa’s most successful banking growth trajectory in the last twelve years. Following its merger with Diamond Bank in March 2019, Access Bank became one of Africa’s largest retail banks by retail customer base.
As the birth pangs of new global business order, midwifed by the Covid-19 pandemic unfurl, only bold and strategic thinking will define survivors. This is the forte of Herbert Wigwe – as he makes critical decisions and weighs game-changing trade-offs. It’s game on.
In light of the sharp dwindling in the global economy occasioned by Covid-19 pandemic, the MD/CEO of Heritage Bank Plc, Ifie Sekibo disclosed that with partnership, truth, character and rigorous commitment to businesses, the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) stand to revamp the nation’s economy for sustainable growth.
He also stated that evidences have shown that for SMEs to continue to survive and remain the bedrock of any vibrant economy, the players must continuously reinvent themselves, complement each other, dream big, possess cutting edge ideas and think and rethink before venturing into businesses.
Speaking during a webinar session, a virtual conference platform at the Upgrade Summit 2020, on the theme, “Converting Ideas into Reality with Focus on SME’s” Sekibo emphasized the need for SMEs to look inward, learn and relearn, possess the spirit of self-sacrifice and believe, whilst advising that they must be bold and should not be afraid to fail because failing is not a failure and should not give up because they had failed.
According to him, most entrepreneurs burn with ideas but they need to mine them so that they could blossom, remarking that they need to have mentors that will enable them to achieve their goals and sell the ideas.
“Among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria, there has been too much of an individual focus, rather than a holistic or intergenerational focus. There is not enough focus on partnership among Nigerian SMEs and this causes ventures to fail,” Sekibo stated.
Meanwhile, he reiterated that more needed to be done in the area of empowering entrepreneurship sector by the government and financial institutions because it is an agent of development.
On Heritage Bank’s efforts so far, the MD/CEO affirmed that its philosophy does not rely on traditional banking metrics like growth in the number of accounts, but according to him, “one of our major cardinal point as a bank is supporting micro, small and medium scale businesses and our strong desire to see young men and women succeed in any area of their business. This will help the society and economy to grow, thereby moving the nation from poverty occasioned by Covid-19 to prosperous economy,” he added.
Sekibo, however, hinted that SMEs could take advantage of its products for seamless banking transactions to boost their businesses like Stockit, HBPadie and the newly launched 24/7 alternate electronic platform via USSD Code *745#.
“We have encouraged SMEs and customers alike to adopt the self-service platforms like *745*0# for balance enquiry, Funds Transfer (Within Heritage Bank): *745*1*Amount*Account Number#, self-airtime recharge: *745*Amount#, third party airtime recharge: *745*Amount*Mobile Number# and change pin: *745*00#,” he said.
He further explained that the entrepreneur schemes of the bank in the support for business had always focused on dependable job-creating sectors such as the agricultural value chain: fish farming, poultry, snail farming, etc., cottage industry, mining and solid minerals, creative industry: tourism, arts and crafts, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Nigeria’s leading financial inclusion services provider, First Bank of Nigeria Limited has announced that its *894# Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), Quick Banking service has hit over 9.5 million customers. This is in clear demonstration of its acknowledged leadership in electronic Banking. The Bank’s USSD banking service, launched in January 2015, is an easy to use, convenient, fast, user-friendly mobile banking channel through which various banking activities are carried out on a mobile phone – across the four major GSM network operators in the country – without the use of the internet.
Customers are able to enjoy a wide range of banking services using the Bank’s *894# USSD banking. These services include; Data and Airtime top-up for self and third-party individuals, Quick Balance Enquiry, Fund Transfers, BVN Enquiry, BVN Linkage, Mini-statement, Account Number Enquiry, Account Opening, Merchant Payment and FirstAdvance loan service. The FirstAdvance loan service enables salary earners to take a loan up to 50% of their monthly salary.
In the words of Chuma Ezirim, FirstBank’s Group Executive, e-Business & Retail Products, “At FirstBank, we are excited about the impact our innovative solutions are making in the Nigerian payment landscape. Our *894# USSD banking has been a viable platform through which we take our banking services to the doorstep of our customers, right on the palm of their hands, without the limitation of an internet connection. We remain committed to creating various avenues to enable Nigerians carry-out various financial activities conveniently, safely and securely anytime, anywhere in Nigeria.”
Pan African Financial institution, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has again given its loyal customers reason to cheer as it rewarded 100 loyal customers with N100,000 each in the UBA Bumper account draw.
The draw, which took place at the UBA Head office on Tuesday, was held via the Facebook platform in strict compliance with social distancing rules as directed by the Federal and Lagos State Government where 100 more customers emerged winners through a transparent draw.
When contacted, the customers who emerged winners of the draw agreed that the total reward of N10m is timely and would be very useful in assisting them especially in the face of the Coronavirus Pandemic currently ravaging the world with attendant effect on incomes of individuals.
UBA’s Group Head, Consumer and Retail Banking, Jude Anele, spoke about the bank’s excitement to be able to put smiles on the faces of as much as 100 customers at this critical time when livelihoods and lives are being threatened by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“These are difficult times indeed with little to cheer about because people are going through trying times. However, for us in UBA, we want our customers to know that we are in these together, that is why we have taken it upon ourselves to reward those that have kept our business going with their loyalty. With this reward, we want to encourage them to stay happy and safe even as they continue to aim for their dream regardless of the present challenges,” Anele said
Anele noted that, the bumper draw is also in line with the bank’s mission of creating superior value for its stakeholders while encouraging saving cultures among Nigerians, adding that “We have in recent times deepened our focus on the most important aspect of our business – the customers we serve. Hence, our huge investment in technology to make banking easier and seamless across all our product channels and that is why we most recently introduced new offerings such as this Bumper Account, with our customer in mind as it is expected to deliver improved value to them.
Explaining the modalities for the draw, Anele said that all new and existing customers need do to qualify for the draw is to ensure that they have a minimum deposit of N5,000 in their UBA Bumper Account. “Current UBA customers are to dial *919*20*1# to migrate to the UBA Bumper Account whilst potential customers should dial *919*20# if interested in opening a UBA Bumper Account,” he added.
In the first draw which was held live during the official launch in Lagos, a total of 100 customers emerged winners as the Bumper to Bumper Crooner, Wande Coal serenaded guests with his famous hit songs to the delight of all present.
The Group Head Marketing & Customer Experience, Michelle Nwoga, explained that the Bumper account was created specifically with the customer in mind, adding that UBA truly puts its customers first and will stop at nothing to ensure they have the right solutions to support their needs. “We are committed to delivering exceptional service and will always seek to excite our customers at every interaction. We back our words with action and that is why a total of 100 customers emerged winners at the last draw which also took place here,” she said.
She added that a monthly shopping allowance of N100,000 for a year is also up for grabs. “No fewer than 5 account holders will get a whopping N2 million each across all participating regions every quarter. This account is open to both existing and new customers of the bank who save a minimum of N5,000,” Nwoga added.
Mafulul Emmanuel King, one of the winners who was called on the phone, could not hide his joy when he was announced as one of the winners. “I am still very amazed. I never knew I could get lucky and win. All my life, I have never won anything like this, and I am very happy that I won this time. What a time to get lucky than now when this Corona Pandemic has affected my business severely. You cant imagine how relieved and delighted I am. God bless you guys, thank you so much UBA,” he said.
Another winner, Bello Aishat, who could not also believe it when her name was contacted screamed for joy, saying “you don’t know what this means to me at this very difficult time! This bank keeps touching and supporting lives. The same way they supported both the federal and state governments and some African countries with a whooping N5billion. I am convinced UBA truly cares and I am proud to bank with UBA. Thank you so much, you have touched me beyond words at a trying time,” she concluded.
First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services provider, will host a virtual SME Business Clinic to provide insightful information on how SMEs can better manage the financial activities of their businesses.
The clinic which is scheduled to hold via Microsoft Teams by 11 am on Thursday, 7 May 2020 is entitled: “Developing a budget to keep your business afloat” and will be discussed by leading SME experts in the country; Abayomi Adewumi, Founder/Director at Global Leadership Institute and Ojiugo Ajunwa, CoFounder at Ritetrac.
Speaking on the event, Mr. Gbenga Shobo, Deputy Managing Director, FirstBank said “the roles SMEs play in Nigeria are instrumental to the growth of our economy, especially in this very sensitive time, where many countries across the world are exploring alternative avenues to sustain the viability of their economy. The FirstBank SME clinic has been instrumental to having SMEs better informed on how to manage their businesses and we encourage SMEs to join us in the forthcoming clinic as it promises to be enriching and impactful to their business.
In line with its resolve to support SMEs with essential skills and information to stay ahead in managing their businesses, FirstBank has held three SME clinics in the course of the year. These clinics were held in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and had over 150 SMEs in attendance.
Nigerians heaved a sigh of relief when the president recently partially lifted the lockdown placed on activities in the country over the outbreak of the pandemic Corona Virus. Little did the government know that this may likely end up exposing Nigerians more to the dreaded disease by the reckless decision of an organization that should know more like the Guaranty Trust Bank.
It is however disappointing how GTBank, an organization that is probably the first amongst the private sector to contribute towards the treatment of the Covid-19 disease with their construction and equipping of a one hundred and ten (110) bed isolation center, which was handed over to the Lagos State government with a further donation to the Federal government to expectedly fight the spread will be involved in an action that is probably going to see more Nigerians getting infected than stop the spread.
The bank’s decision to however expose their customers to the virus with their decision to restrict the numbers of branches they will be opening when the government decided to ease the lockdown is like giving silent approval for the spread of the virus they are also campaigning against at the same time.
Pictures and videos revealed that the bank did not think through about their decision to open very limited branches. Though they made sure the number of customers entering the banking hall is few but the population of their customers waiting outside the banking hall would have seen to it that the effort to reduce customers inside the banking hall to maintain social distancing has little or no impact in checkmating the spread.
Information made available by the bank on their social media shows it was a management decision to make sure it is only eleven (11) branches of the bank that is made operational in the whole of Lagos while Abuja only has four (4) branches active and this we gathered led to the mammoth crowd of customers that besieged the active branches.
Though the number of working branches has since been increased but pictures and videos shows the irresponsible decision is having the capacity to have exposed many of their customers to the virus and thereby increasing the spread of the disease Nigerians are trying so hard to reduce.
Pictures & Videos of GTBank Social Irresponsibility below;
As part of its commitment to increase customers’ access to banking services in communities across the country, Access Bank has concluded plans to commission 10 Access ‘CLOSA’ outlets in 6 cities in Nigeria.
‘CLOSA’ branches are Access Bank Branded Cabins situated in ‘Metropolitan areas’ offering banking services to its customers. This is also a timely intervention to mitigate the effect of restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Access ‘CLOSA’ branches will be located not less than 3km or more than 20km from the nearest existing Access Bank branch, and will offer banking services such as cash deposits and cash withdrawals (no 3rd party withdrawals), customer on-boarding, funds transfer subject to a limit of N150,000, BVN enrolment, card issuance, card activation, cheque deposit, bills payment, and ATM services.
Speaking about the initiative, the Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc., Herbert Wigwe said, “Access CLOSA was introduced last year, and now, the peculiarities of the Coronavirus has made it even more important to bring banking services closer to the people. Access Bank understands that the risk of transmission is higher in congested spaces and to mitigate this risk, we will be commissioning 10 more banking outlets to serve the needs of our esteemed customers.”
“The CLOSA banking service is not being introduced to replace our existing branches, rather aid the Bank in delivering on its commitment to offer best-in-class service to our customers. We are not aloof to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, and whilst we will do all that is required to ensure branches remain safe for our employees and customers in line with the protocol advised by the health authorities, we urge our customers to leverage on our digital channels in carrying out transactions,” he added.
Managed by Access Bank and Agency banking representatives, Access CLOSA branches are set to begin operations in Port Harcourt, Lagos, Kogi, Kaduna, Bayelsa, Delta, Anambra, and Kogi.
