Workers’ Day: Ecobank Nigeria To Host Webinar On Investment Opportunities
Ecobank Nigeria has concluded arrangements to hold a consumer-focused and investment-oriented webinar titled “Today’s Opportunities for Your Money; Making the Best of the Moment”. The webinar, slated for May 6, 2022, by 11am is in commemoration of Workers’ day and it will feature a carefully selected panel of speakers; notably Jimi Ogbobine, Head of Agusto Consulting, business experts from the bank’s Treasury and Consumer Products teams, as well as Ecobank Development Corporation (EDC), the bespoke investment arm of the Ecobank Group. The registration link is https://bit.ly/3OHw35s
Speaking ahead of the event, Korede Demola-Adeniyi, Head, Consumer Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, said the webinar will focus essentially on the investment opportunities available to customers and non customers considering current macro-economic realities, adding that it will also provide a guide to investment in key sectors and the banks offerings to help them get the best out of today’s financial landscape.
According to her, “The purely virtual webinar is designed for workers, salary earners, business owners and open to everyone. A consumer banking webinar of this magnitude is one of the numerous ways we retain our leading position as a Pan-African Bank and our customers’ preferred financial partner and this year’s Workers’ Day celebration gives us another opportunity to provide them value that goes beyond banking.”
She further explained that “In putting together this webinar, our goal is to provide every individual; irrespective of their location, class or income range, the right financial advice to help them unlock maximum value for their money. People work hard for their money and they deserve to acquire the insights that will help them put their money to work. We believe this webinar will help them achieve that.”
While imploring members of the public to join the webinar, Mrs. Demola-Adeniyi maintained: “The webinar is bound to provide financial education and financial planning tips to our customers and every other participant. “Participants will be informed about relevant investment opportunities to create wealth and most importantly, how the bank can be useful to them at this time. “It is important to make an informed decision regarding how to manage your money.”
Ecobank Nigeria Ltd. is a subsidiary of the Ecobank Group, the leading Pan-African banking group with operations in 33 African countries and an international presence in four locations (London, Paris, Beijing, and Dubai). Ecobank Nigeria is a full-service bank providing wholesale, retail, investment and transaction banking services and products to governments, financial institutions, multinationals, international organizations, medium, small and micro businesses and individuals.
Ecobank is a major player in the distribution of financial services in Nigeria, leveraging digital platforms including Ecobank Mobile App and USSD *326#, Ecobank Online, Ecobank OmniPlus, Ecobank Omnilite, EcobankPay, Ecobank RapidTransfer, ATMs, POSs and an extensive distribution network of over 250 branches and over 50,000 agency banking locations.
Wema Bank, ADEMOLA ADEBISE ADMONISHES ACCOUNTANTS ON DATA PROTECTION
Mr Ademola Adebise, Managing Director Wema Bank Plc
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Wema Bank Plc, Mr Ademola Adebise, has advised accountants to store data safely and protect them against cybersecurity threats and other criminal breaches.
Adebise said this on Tuesday at the 16th Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) Western Accountants Conference themed ‘Digital Economy: Whither the Professional Accountant’ held in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.
The MD/CEO who stressed the importance of data storage and security said that accountants in the digital age must be flexible and knowledgeable to save data on storage devices on-premises or in the cloud.
He also noted that in case of loss or data corruption, the 21st-century accountant needs to be conversant with the Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) to mitigate loss.
Mr Adebise explained that “a large amount of data is sitting on storage. As accountants, we need to safeguard our storage and be versed in data recovery and business continuity planning should there be a loss or corruption of data.
“The accountant must know contemporary issues on cybersecurity – ensuring that digital information is safe and secure, at all times. Going digital exposes you to risk from hackers. So, as an accountant, you need to have an in-depth knowledge of cybersecurity and must know the various data and information security standards to audit the environment.”
Apart from being security conscious and storing data securely, the MD/CEO further noted that modern accountants should understand the changes taking place in the profession, including the evolution from traditional data collection methods.
He said, “these include using Enterprise Resource Planning systems that are interconnected to process data from production, distribution, marketing, and sales. The accountant, therefore, needs to be skilled to understand the complexities, transaction flows of the new ways of doing things and understand what data is saying.”
In Nigeria, the most popular forms of cybercrimes that accountants and other professionals in the financial services sector are susceptible to include fraudulent electronic mails, identity theft, hacking, cyber harassment, spamming and Automated Teller Machine spoofing.
The biggest, however, is still fraud emails. The Nigeria Electronic Fraud Forum (NeFF) revealed that bank customers lost N3.6 billion to cyber-fraud in two years (2017 and 2018).
Data released by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) also showed attempted fraud in 2018 alone was about N9 billion.
UBA Gifts Customers Awesome Digital Experience at Valentine with New Internet Banking
Africa’s global bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, is set to launch the new internet banking, tagged ‘Made for Love’ in time for the Valentine season which is widely celebrated all over the world as the season of love.
The newly upgraded internet banking has been fully equipped to provide a new digital experience to customers as the bank has invested in cutting edge technology to achieve this with attention to the smallest detail.
UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Kennedy Uzoka, who gave insight on the new internet banking system, explained that as always, UBA remains committed towards prioritising customers, which is why the bank has gone the extra mile in conceptualising an outstanding service, with countless benefits and features designed to give its esteemed customers increased control and accessibility to carry out their transactions with ease.
As a key part of the new features, he said the application has been loaded with security elements to protect all financial transactions on the bank’s platform and is securely focused on the ultimate customer experience.
Speaking specifically about the internet Banking payment system, the GMD explained that it is the best in its class and was designed with multiple-factor authentication security features, which makes it extremely difficult to hack. He, however, advised customers not to divulge personal information to third parties, in order to keep the line of transaction fully protected on the part of the customer.
“The new Internet banking comes with a lot of features that are engaging for customers and have made banking transactions a lot easier, while easily addressing customers’ needs, through inbuilt emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI),” Uzoka said.
He listed some of the upgraded features to include transfer of money from UBA account to other UBA accounts, sending money to saved beneficiaries, card-less withdrawal for self and for third party, personal financial management and so much more.
“Mobile technology is our strategy in UBA, and we have devoted a lot to ensure that we are able to deliver banking services using a web system that is unparalleled across the globe”, Uzoka explained.
Also speaking on the new digital experience, Group Head, Digital Banking, Kayode Ishola, said the new internet banking is the customers’ personal finance manager built with a distinctive user interface that will change the face of banking, adding that the internet banking has been designed as multilingual and multi-currency Web payment system to address the needs of all categories of UBA customers, irrespective of their education and tribe, either for Individual customers or SME customers.
He disclosed that the new Internet banking runs concurrently in the 20 countries of UBA’s operation, interacting in the different languages and cultures in line with the specific needs and regulation of the country in focus, adding that it is sleek and trendy with a seamless user interface and can also speak to the specific country where it is being used.
“Interestingly, we have worked towards creating behavioural insight for our customers and working around this to address the real needs of our customers using the Omni channel platform and running on our open digital platform, which is very interactive and armed with lifestyle services,” Ishola explained.
United Bank for Africa Plc is a leading Pan-African financial institution, offering banking services to more than twenty-one million customers, across over 1,000 business offices and customer touch points, in 20 African countries.
With presence in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and France, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through retail; commercial and corporate banking; innovative cross-border payments and remittances; trade finance and ancillary banking services
UBA’s Leo Clocks 4, Set to Further Transform Digital Banking In Nigeria, Africa…Remains Africa’s Leading Ai Chatbot
Africa’s global bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) has said that it has concluded plans to commemorate the 4th year anniversary of its flagship artificial intelligence Chabot, with new offerings set to further change the face of digital banking in Nigeria
“Birthed January 11, 2018, with a firm resolve to prioritise its customers as well as put the bank at the heart of disruptive technologies that will transform the experience of esteemed customers, UBA did the unthinkable by getting 3 million users hooked in less than three years of its inception.”
Leo, which the bank stressed, has proven to be the most formidable artificial intelligence chat bot till date; serving an ever-increasing customer base who now have less transaction hassles to worry about is currently available on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Apple Business Chat
To further extend its reach, UBA has concluded plans to commence Leo services on Instagram and Google Business, terrains none of its peers can lay claim to.
Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, UBA, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, affirmed that UBA customers indeed agree that Leo is one of the bank’s biggest investments in cutting-edge technology and has been steadily changing the face of banking in the continent.
“Three years later, and with over almost 4 million customers and counting, UBA’s Leo, has without a doubt, remained the smartest Banking Chatbot in Nigeria because of its speed and quick learning intelligence and has continued to evolve with plenty to offer its teeming customers”.
“While other financial institutions are still trying to find their feet as regards Artificial Intelligence, we can proudly say that our Leo has become a massive success as it continues to consolidate on its successes and accolades winning several awards in a short while of its existence, “he added.
Uzoka continued: “In just 4 years, Leo’s landmark achievements have been indeed overwhelming, covering 20 African countries as well as garnering over 10 prestigious awards globally, a feat that is exceptional by every standard, I must say we are proud of Leo’s intimidating achievements which is largely unbeatable”.
“With this in mind, we have ensured that, Leo continues to enjoy periodic and systematic upgrade with special emphasis on enhanced advancements and specialised unique features where necessary”.
“UBA’s vision has always been and will remain to be a dominating force in Africa’s digital banking space. Our resolve is to provide unparalleled experience across all channels. We are a technology-driven institution with vast knowledge in the business that we do and Leo, being a tested, dependable and intelligent personality, did well to replicate on WhatsApp the success it recorded on the Facebook Messenger platform where it started its journey and later on the IOS (iPhone Operating System) platform. It is a solution that is from the customer’s standpoint, easy to use by anyone regardless of demography. Leo is always ready and waiting to help with any form of banking service,” Uzoka said.
Uzoka further explained that Leo is already present in 20 African countries and in three languages and has a number of rich and robust features bound to mesmerise existing and potential customers with services that are extremely fast and secure as all transactions and enquiries are encrypted, end-to-end.
“Leo has the ability to do a wide range of things, including funds transfer, call card top-up, checking of account balance, retrieval of bank statements, instant account openings for new customers, statement to embassy/other banks/microfinance, purchase of airtime/ data, paying of bills (LCC, PHCN, Cable TV), effectively helping with savings and spend limit.
“The AI chatbot also boosts of remarkable innovative features that allows customers make banking Services – Request/stop/confirm Cheques, Block card, Log & track complaints, ATM/Branch Locator, Freeze accounts, and check weather etc. Other features include Customer Care complaint resolution, linking of new account, flight Payment, linking and Funding of Prepaid Card, Travel Notification, Wakanow services and Dubai Visa service, “he explained.
The GMD also pointed out that, customers who have engaged with Leo are more than delighted about their experience and credit it for automatically extracting account details without hassles, adding that “Testimonies abound about how it is generally easier to use Leo compared to its counterparts. For example, Leo automatically detects account numbers via a customer’s WhatsApp mobile number and goes ahead to seamlessly help customers check their account balance as well as top-up airtime”.
FIRSTBANK UNVEILS A FULLY AUTOMATED SELF SERVICE BRANCH, STRENGTHENS DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN NIGERIA
FirstBank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services organisation has announced the launch of its fully automated branch, called the FirstBank Digital Experience Centre. It is provided to put customers at an advantage in carrying out various activities on their own without interacting with anyone. The branch is a reinvention of digital banking solutions in the country as customers are exposed to a seamless world-class banking experience.
The self-service branch is built with a wide range of phased modern banking facilities which include humanoid robots equipped with Video Banking and Artificial Intelligence (AI), taking on the role of friendly branch staff; Teller Cash Recyclers (TCRs); Self-Service kiosks for non-financial transactions such as account update; Fast Track (Contactless) ATMs; Interactive Smart Screen to ensure effective and comprehensive consultation with bank sales staff via remote video connection.
Other services include paperless/electronic forms designed to promote timely resolution of complaints, dispensing of account statements and account enquiry/management, funds transfer, dispensing of new ATM cards; fixed deposit booking between N100,000.00 to N5,000,000.00, card services and management, cheque management, email and phone number update, ATM card and token block, amongst many others.
Expressing his delight on the initiative, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, CEO, FirstBank said ‘with our Digital Experience Centre, we have reiterated our role in pioneering leading innovative technology-driven solutions that are central to enriching the experience of our customers in carrying-out various transactions using state-of-the-art-facilities with ease and convenience. Our self-service branch exemplifies the future of banking in Nigeria and we remain committed to putting You, our customers First.
The FirstBank Digital Experience Centre is piloted by the Bank’s remodeled Adetokunbo Ademola branch, Victoria Island. The milestone initiative is scheduled to hit other locations across the country’s geopolitical zones in the coming months.
FINTECH 5.0: EVALUATING HOW FIRSTBANK STRENGTHENS COLLABORATION
…To drive financial inclusion
It was Sir Isaac Newton, in his letter to Robert Hooke in 1675, who wrote the now-famous quote: “If I have seen further (than others), it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
The shoulders of giants Sir Newton referred to has to do with leverage provided by the discoveries and experiences of people who have gone before or walked that same path earlier, that pave the way for and enable other people and a new generation to take things to a totally new dimension.
The truth is, giants whose shoulders provide such leverage to the next generation can be found in various fields and various nations. In Nigeria, for example, such giants exist in various fields and they are known and recognised.
Take the fintech (financial technology) space in Nigeria, where one bank is known to have stood as a giant with very broad shoulders, having capacities that have been built up and accumulated over 127 continuous years. Every year since 2016 (apart from 2017 when it was implementing ideas from 2016, including a Digital Innovation Lab), this well-recognised bank has provided a platform for the most robust engagement of the fintech industry in Nigeria. Tagged Fintech Summit, the annual engagement has continued to help in catalysing the fintech sector to ever-higher levels from year to year.
Held in Lagos the commercial capital of Nigeria and arguably the fintech capital of Africa, given Nigeria’s status as the leading nation in the fintech space in Africa, the annual FirstBank Fintech Summit has attracted an average of a thousand participants, who are mostly fintech owners, workers and enthusiasts, yearly. Last year’s Summit, Fintech Summit 4.0 with the theme
“How Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence will Disrupt Fintech in Nigeria”, however, drew an unprecedented number of participants – over 6,000 from across 52 different countries. It was the first virtual Summit due to the restrictions imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and it featured as keynote speaker Silicon Valley-based innovator of international repute, Chinedu Echeruo, who founded HopStop that was later sold to Apple for US$1 billion. Imagine the inspiration, dreams and aspirations young people soak up while listening to speakers with such a profile.
Far from being one-directional – with all the talk flowing from only the speaker to the audience – the yearly Summit is actually a platform for multidimensional engagement involving various stakeholders in the fintech industry – operators, regulators, investors, enthusiasts, fintech journalists and writers, bankers, et cetera.
It offers an unequalled opportunity for networking among fintech and other stakeholders, leading to opportunities for collaboration within the community. For small businesses and start-ups powered by FirstBank’s support, the annual Summit has been a veritable platform for showcasing them. The platform has also served for the announcement of policy initiatives coupled with pronouncements that provide clarifications to policy. This is due to invitations extended to regulators and the important role they are assigned in conversations facilitated during the Summit.
The Summit that preceded last year’s, i.e., the third edition of Fintech Summit 3.0 held in 2019, featured another heavyweight in Nigeria’s fintech industry, Victor Asemota, founder of Swifta Systems & Services, as keynote speaker. The theme “Banking + Tech = Solving Real Problems”, included panel sessions featuring experts with over two hundred combined years of experience in both the financial and technological industries.
They applied their knowledge, expertise and experience to address challenges in the technologically-driven business world, structured in terms of Solving Business Problems; Solving Regulatory, Security and Legal Problems; and Solving Lifestyle Problems. At the end of the Summit, participants must have felt that the Summit delivered on the confidence the Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank, Adesola Adeduntan, had expressed when he remarked in his welcome address, “I am optimistic that every organisation represented here will be empowered to provide services with greater speed and solve real societal problems to the advantage of the Nigerian populace through the insights that will be gained from this event.“
Fintech Summit 3.0 had built on the success of the second edition, Fintech Summit 2.0 held in 2018, which had “The Future of Banking – The Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data” as a theme. Adia Sowho, the Managing Director of Mines in Nigeria, had, as the first keynote speaker, stressed the importance of collaboration between legacy banks and fintechs in the overall good of their shared financial services space. The Deputy Managing Director of FirstBank, Gbenga Shobo, had, in his welcome address, said that FirstBank was committed to finding the right balance in its approach in supporting the budding fintech industry. It is gratifying that the bank has since found that right balance and pushed ahead enthusiastically with the continual annual engagement that is its yearly Fintech Summit.
For those who like to bring up the argument that deposit money banks (DMBs) and fintech are rivals competing in the same space for the same customers and wonder why FirstBank, a leading deposit money bank, would itself be involved in efforts to catalyse the fintech industry, they need to wake up and smell the coffee. FirstBank is continuously evolving and staying on the cutting edge of technology in order to better serve its customers, who are themselves evolving and adapting to newer and more efficient and convenient technologies as they become available.
And FirstBank is on a journey to a future where it is happy, in the spirit of the African tradition of Ubuntu, to take all fintech along with it. In the words of another famous quote, “The sky is too big for two [or many] big birds flying in it to collide.” FirstBank believes there is ample room for all players – deposit money banks, fintech, et cetera – to fulfil their unique roles. Therefore, collaboration, not competition, is FirstBank’s watchword. And FirstBank considers fintech partners in progress in its avowed commitment to driving financial inclusion.
FirstBank’s own evolution and the transition is causing some people to question its continuous classification by the Central Bank as a deposit money bank (with a preponderance of bricks-and-mortar banking operations) rather than a digital bank. And the reasons for their argument cannot be easily waved aside. In 2020, for example, over 85 per cent of the banking transactions that were required by customers of FirstBank were performed on the bank’s self-service channels.
That means customers of the bank only needed the attention of the bank’s staff or branches for just 15 per cent of all the banking transactions they required in 2020. There are now as many as over 16 million customers between FirstBank’s digital channels of online banking (called FirstOnline), mobile banking (christened FirstMobile) and USSD banking (called *894# quick banking).
Between FirstOnline and FirstMobile, a growth of 21 per cent in the user base was experienced in 2020. Customers on both platforms conducted approximately 256 million transactions worth N15.7 trillion in the same year. FirstOnline, as of June 2021, had an impressive 597,466 customers on the service, a 17 per cent growth on the previous year and 578,292 transactions per month, averaging a value of N388 billion per month.
For FirstMobile, besides the impressive gain in numbers, it gained recognition as “Best Mobile Banking App” at the Global Finance Best Digital Bank Awards, for providing excellent self-service through its user-friendly app. FirstMobile had, as of June 2021, 4,596,203 users on the platform, which is a nine per cent growth on the previous year and an average of 27,730,830 transactions every month. While these numbers point to the giant statue of the bank, none of it excites FirstBank as much as Firstmonie, because of its invaluable role in driving financial inclusion at the grassroots level, one of FirstBank’s overriding commitments.
Firstmonie, the agent banking network of FirstBank, currently has over 130,000 agents across the country, making it the largest bank-led agent network anywhere in Africa. As the foremost financial inclusion service in the country, it has achieved over 750 million transactions worth N15 trillion (about US$30 billion) processed from inception to date.
Over 295 million of those transactions with a total value of N6.65 trillion were processed in 2020 alone – the same year COVID-19 caused widespread disruptions across the globe. Firstmonie agency banking scheme has empowered agents across all Local Government Areas in the country, providing employment to thousands of people.
FirstBank through the Firstmonie platform further supports the fintech industry via partnership collaborations with local and international fintechs. All these are geared towards expanding financial inclusion and providing a variety of services to customers of the bank with giant shoulders that customers and fintechs can stand on to see further.
As for Sir Isaac Newton, the giant of a scientist whose famous quote began this piece, if he could read us from the grave, he would feel very proud today to see that celebrated line from his 1675 letter being aptly used to represent the relationship that exists between the broad, energetic and dynamic shoulders of Nigeria’s banking behemoth, FirstBank, and the rapidly emerging beautiful bride of Nigeria’s economic sectors, the fintech industry. This relationship climaxes every year in the annual Fintech Summit and the forthcoming Fintech Summit 5.0 promises to take the relationship to a whole new dimension.
UBA’s LEO Continues to Evolve, Remains Smartest Banking Chatbot
…Hits 3 million user mark
Pan African financial institution, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has in the last three years won the hearts of its customers with its artificial intelligence chat bot, LEO, which has proven to be the most formidable artificial intelligence chat bot till date; serving an ever-increasing clientele who now have less transaction hassles to worry about.
Leo is an AI chatbot for banking services currently available on Face-book Messenger, WhatsApp, Apple Device and is set to launch soon on other social media platforms.
Birthed January 11, 2018, with a firm resolve to prioritise its customers as well as put the bank at the heart of disruptive technologies that will transform the experience of esteemed customers, UBA did just that with a million users becoming hooked in less than three months of its LEO’s inception.
Three years later, and with over 3 million customers and counting, UBA’s LEO, has without doubt, remained the smartest Banking Chatbot in Nigeria because of its speed and quick learning intelligence and has continued to evolve with plenty to offer its teeming customers. While other financial institutions are still trying to figure to find their feet as regards AI, UBA’s LEO has become a massive success as the AI continues to consolidate on it successes and accolades winning several awards overtime.
The chat bot continues to enjoy periodic and systematic upgrade with special emphasis on enhanced advancements and specialised unique features which have clearly earned the chatbot over 3 million Users.
UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, UBA, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, affirmed that UBA customers indeed agree that LEO is one of the bank’s biggest investments in cutting-edge technology and has been steadily changing the face of banking in the continent.
“UBA’s vision has always been and will remain a dominating force in Africa’s digital banking space. Our resolve is to provide unparalleled experience across all channels. We are a technology-driven institution with vast knowledge in the business that we do and LEO, being a tested, dependable and intelligent personality, replicated on WhatsApp the success it recorded on the Facebook Messenger platform where it started its journey and later on the IOS (iPhone Operating System) platform . It is a solution that is from the customer’s standpoint, easy to use by anyone regardless of demography. LEO is always ready and waiting to help with any form of banking service,” Uzoka said.
“As an app that has been in existence for over nine years, reaching more than 1.5 billion people in over 180 countries, WhatsApp has become very essential in lifestyle and that is why UBA saw the need to include LEO’s services in that very important app and the premium private chat platform has assured that there will be no spam messages, as the development is to enable businesses serve their customers with useful information,” the GMD stated,
Uzoka explained that LEO is already present in over 20 African countries and in three languages and has a number of rich and robust features bound to mesmerise existing and potential customers with services that are extremely fast and secure as all transactions and enquiries are encrypted, end-to-end.
LEO has the ability to do a wide range of things, including funds transfer, call card top-up, checking of account balance, retrieval of bank statements, instant account openings for new customers, statement to embassy/other banks/microfinance, purchase of airtime/ data, paying of bills (LCC, PHCN, Cable TV), effectively helping with savings and spend limit.
The AI chatbot also boosts of remarkable innovative features that allows customers make banking Services – Request/stop/confirm Cheques, Block card, Log & track complaints, ATM/Branch Locator, Freeze accounts, and check weather etc. Other features include Customer Care complaint resolution, linking of new account, flight Payment, linking and Funding of Prepaid Card, Travel Notification, Wakanow services and Dubai Visa service.
The GMD pointed out that, customers who have engaged with LEO are more than delighted about their experience and credit it for automatically extracting account details without hassles, adding that “Testimonies abound about how it is generally easier to use LEO compared to its counterparts. For example, LEO automatically detects account numbers via a customer’s WhatsApp mobile number and goes ahead to seamlessly help customers check their account balance as well as top-up airtime”.
Reviews from customers note that LEO is more personable, more humane, and it feels like talking to an experienced customer service/Fulfilment representative. The Bot also allows customers to easily lodge and process complaints with adequate and timely feedback.
UBA offers banking services to more than twenty-five million customers, across over 1,000 business offices and customer touch points, in 20 African countries. With presence in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and France, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through retail; commercial and corporate banking; innovative cross-border payments and remittances; trade finance and ancillary banking services.
ABUAD Teaching Hospital’s Edge Over Others In Nigeria
ABUADTH
In this exclusive interview with a team of reporters, Dr. Akinola Akinmade, Deputy Chief Medical Director of the Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital, ABUADTH, talks about Aare Afe Babalola, the founder’s commitment to attracting the world to Nigeria for excellent medical care through its well funded and well equipped Teaching Hospital
How did the process of this mega hospital start?
It started in April 2018. We have several innovations we have put in place to make sure we have seamless health delivery here in ABUADTH.
The first is the reception. You can get registered to access treatment, see a doctor, consultations. All these can be done electronically. We don’t have case files. We don’t give patient a card or make them sign a paper. Once you register here, your information will be available at all the service centers in the hospital.
And if you come back in 20 years, your information will be intact because we have the information stored in a backup cloud
Can you highlight the makeup of the different units?
We have six multifunctional dental chairs that can do a wild range of dental procedures.
You can do dental implants, from basic things like scaling and polishing and they are affordable.
Scaling and polishing can make your teeth whiter and nicer. These chairs can do a single tooth x-ray.
We also have the OPG machine that can do a panoramic view of the entire skull.
ABUADTH
If you want to do a reconstruction surgery from the dental bones and things like that, you will do a reconstruction with the OPG first. We have six chairs, we have one dedicated for Paediatrics.
All the compressors are there, based on this, we have started a dental school here in ABUADTH and they are currently in 200 level going to 300 level and all the specialties are represented here.
We have done all sort of major dental surgeries.
We also have a machine that does the panoramic view of the head. This helps to have the overall view of the skull.
Ekiti does not have an airport. How can emergency cases get here for attention?
We have a helipad. That’s the Helipad. {Pointing to the direction}
The helicopter lands on it, the ambulance goes from here and there is a dedicated road for it, picks up the person and brings him or her straight to the emergency.
We have received several patients through the helipad.
Do you have equipment for Ears, Nose and Throat, ENT infection?
Yes, here in ABUADTH we have. This is the workstation, this is the piece of equipment, {Pointing at equipment}
If there are 100 procedures in ENT, this can do 90 percent. So the patients don’t have to go to the theater.
Once they are here, we can do most of the ENT procedures.
For instance, if a child puts an object in his or her ear, instead of going to the theater looking for it, you can remove all that here. We can remove stuff in the throat, ear and so on.
This equipment, (pointing at a piece of equipment) is a stand-alone piece of equipment. This is very expensive. We have two of them in case we have a lot of patients. But the equipment is very expensive.
Audiology
This is the audiology booth,{Pointing at the machine} for those who have hearing defects.
Patient can go in here and out on the head phones and they are tested for their range of hearing and all that.
We fix patients for hearing aide.
Eye
If patient has eye defects and has undertaken measurement, the glasses are cut immediately and in two hours it is ready.
We have the optician and once you have your records, they do the cutting for you and in two hours you can get your glasses. You don’t have to come back or wait for days.
Cardiac Arrest
If the patient can get here within six hours and gets on this machine (pointing at a machine) the patient has bright chances of recovery.
That is why the helicopter is very important. If there is an accident victim and there is a cardiac arrest at home and the patient gets to the hospital in six hours, the patient goes home the next day. We have received patients from Sokoto, Kano, Lagos anywhere. We have 3 of these.
Heart Surgery
We have an open-heart surgery centre. It is for those that need heart surgeries including deformity of the heart, hole in the heart, atrial septal defects, etc.
They need the theater. We have the machines. We actually have two other machines for backup. When the patient gets here, they open the chest because they cannot operate on a breathing heart.
But sometimes, we can. But we can’t operate while the blood is in there. The blood flows into the heart-lung machine. We paralyize the hearth and work on the heart. When it is completed, the blood flows back into the heart and the machine is used to bring back the heart.
It’s a form of electrical shock and the heart comes back to life.
Then you take the patient back to the ICU, we have done more than 100 since we started. We have someone who does this. He is an Indian and he is on the ground full time. It is very expensive to keep them.
How many theaters do you have in this teaching hospital?
We have 10 theaters and these are modular theaters will full equipment.
These equipment cost so much. But how can average income earners access these facilities?
Yes, you have a point. One of the problems we have in the country is the absence of medical insurance. If the government can make health insurance available to all, medical care will as well be available to all.
However, our founder has ensured that health care in this Teaching Hospital is affordable to all.
Why is this teaching hospital under-publicized?
In the medical profession, we don’t do adverts or any form of publicity. It’s against the regulations of the profession. People get to know we have this equipment here either by referral or when reporters visit hospitals like you are doing.
Which prominent Nigerians have visited this place?
Governors across the country have been here. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ex President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and many more have been here.
FIRSTBANK LAUNCHES LIT APP, A REVOLUTIONARY MOBILE BANKING APPLICATION, REINFORCES ITS COMMITMENT TO PUT CUSTOMERS FIRST.
In furtherance of its commitment to spearhead value-driven mobile and digital banking in Nigeria, FirstBank of Nigeria Limited has announced the launch of the LIT Application, created to revolutionise the culture and experience of mobile banking in Nigeria.
The state-of-the-art banking app is the first of its kind in the industry, exposing customers to a wealth of opportunities to promote their safety, convenience whilst ensuring they are at an edge in today’s digital banking world. It is a mobile banking app developed and owned by the Bank and configured with a wide range of exciting features to meet the needs of its dynamic customers.
The FirstBank LIT application is not just about bills payment, funds transfer or airtime recharge, but also the app is equipped with several other exciting features that reiterate the Bank’s resolve to continually expand its digital architecture to modernise its interaction with customers, irrespective of where they may be across the world. These functions of the LIT app include: multiple transfers which allow customers to select several beneficiaries at once for a single transfer; account opening opportunities for non-customers as well as account management, enabling customers to identify their relationship managers for immediate assistance, should the need arise.
In addition, customers can generate bank statements with options to download as pdf or send an email whilst having receipts generated as far back as one wants. With the LIT app, customers are also able to log and manage their complaint(s) without having to visit the branch. The LIT app is not all about usage but rewards as users (customers) are rewarded for using the application.
Expressing his excitement, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, CEO, FirstBank of Nigeria Limited said “the LIT App is designed to strengthen our commitment to our customers, ensuring the continued safety of their funds and providing them with access to renewed transformative and adaptable solutions especially in today’s digital world. Developing the application is essential to make certain that our customers have more ways to seamlessly interact with us. The LIT App is the latest addition to the Bank’s robust electronic banking family, with others being the multiple global award-winning FirstMobile, *894# USSD Banking, FirstOnline internet banking, WhatsApp chat banking, amongst many others.”
The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Africa’s leading philanthropy empowering young African entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries, has successfully trained over 200,000 entrepreneurs in core business management skills as part of its 2021 TEF Entrepreneurship Programme.
The Business Management training was conducted exclusively on TEFConnect, the Foundation’s proprietary digital platform that provides capacity-building support, advisory and market linkages to over 1 Million Africans and counting.
The TEF Entrepreneurship Programme Business Management Training equips entrepreneurs with critical skills required to launch and run their businesses at the early growth stage. With a unique curriculum that encompasses topics on Starting Your Business, Business Management & Fundamentals, Leadership & Business Growth, Selecting and Building a Team, amongst others, entrepreneurs are effectively armed to achieve business growth, profitability, and sustained success.
Entrepreneurs were hosted to weekly information sessions, as part of the training, to address relevant concerns and share vital programme updates. All entrepreneurs received active support from coaches and mentors who provided technical guidance, counsel and one-one interaction throughout the duration of the training programme.
The training, which is one element of the 7 pillars of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme, was carried out in the official African languages including English, French, Portuguese and Arabic, and over 40 percent of trained participants were women.
Commenting on this milestone, Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, said “Every year, our commitment to transform Africa is further strengthened with the passion, resilience and talent of the high-calibre entrepreneurs who onboard our flagship programme. Our curricular provides a holistic opportunity for entrepreneurs to learn, grow and contribute to the development of their communities.”
The Chief Executive Officer added: “Furthermore, it is a testament to the eagerness and readiness of African entrepreneurs across all of Africa to make themselves available to transform the continent for good. I would like to commend these entrepreneurs for their discipline, dedication and hard work throughout the training and look forward to the immense impact of their businesses across diverse sectors in Africa. We remain committed to empowering African entrepreneurs with the required resources and support that will ensure that their businesses can scale and drive sustainable change on the continent”.
The TEF Entrepreneurship Training is immediately followed by a Business Plan review process for each entrepreneur. The top-performing entrepreneurs subsequently participate in the Pitching phase of the Programme after which successful entrepreneurs receive a non-returnable seed capital of US$5000 each.
The leading African philanthropy also hopes to train and empower thousands more across the African continent as part of its commitment to catalyze economic growth, drive poverty eradication and ensure job creation.
In 2020, the Tony Elumelu Foundation marked ten years of impact, having empowered and funded nearly 10,000 African entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries as part of its US$100 million TEF Entrepreneurship Programme. The Tony Elumelu Foundation is inspired by Tony Elumelu’s economic philosophy of Africapitalism, which positions the private sector, and most importantly entrepreneurs, as the catalyst for the long-term social and economic development of the African continent.
To learn more about the Tony Elumelu Foundation, please visit TonyElumeluFoundation.org; and to receive the Foundation’s free business training, please visit TEFConnect.com.
