Category: Business

As the world grapple with the impact of the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic, which has continued to cause worldwide challenges for healthcare systems, economies and corporate organisations, Heritage Bank Plc has taken practicable steps to offer seamless services to customers, whilst ensuring the health and safety of their workers and others at the workplace.

The bank, however, adopted a crisis response measures in place to minimise and manage the risk arising from the disease known as COVID-19 and ensure that the payment infrastructure and logistics to maintain operations going as various State governments brace up for lockdown to contain the pandemic.

The bank’s Management in a statement explained that part of its business continuity management emanating from Heritage Bank’s corporate strategy was to guarantee seamless service delivery to the various stakeholders, adopt measures to tackle significant business risk that might have growth impact on economy, whilst taken reasonably practicable steps to minimize the risk.

According to Heritage Bank, incognizant with the protocols proffered by the World Health Organisation, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and other health agencies, Heritage Bank provided a work environment that is without risk to health and safety and adequate facilities for workers in carrying out their work, so far as is reasonably practicable.

The statement noted that the Bank has maintained a maximum of 10% of staff who constitute mainly Units heads and “must have” working from its premises during these times of uncertainties, whilst others work remotely from home to adhere to the social distancing directive.

The bank further noted that efforts have been ongoing via its intranet and other channels to keep staff and customers up-to-date with the latest COVID-19 information and provide clear direction and guidance expected of workers and customers.

“We have enforced and continued to monitor the need for workers to practice good hygiene, including:  frequent hand washing, use of sanitizer,  limiting contact with others, including through shaking hands covering their mouths while coughing or sneezing require workers to stay away from the workplace if they are unwell and not fit for work, and encourage them to seek medical advice as appropriate seek advice from health authorities immediately if there has been a confirmed case of COVID-19 and for staff who are arriving from affected countries to self-quarantine for 14days,” the financial institution stated.

To ensure seamless banking transactions, the bank explained that customers are constantly communicated to, to adopt its available 24/7 alternate electronic channels.

“We have encouraged our customers 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#.

“We are available via email info@hbng.com and social media (insert social media icons) to render the following services: Debit Card Hotlist, Post No Debit Request (PND Placement), HB Padie unlock/ username request/ Password reset, Statement of Account (individual accounts) and general inquiries on products and services

“We have setup a COVID-19 Support Centre to offer COVID-19 safety tips to all our customers during this period, in support of the efforts of the Government and relevant bodies. Please send any information relating to the COVID-19 pandemic via these channels: E-mail: HeritageBankCovid19Support@hbng.com  and contact number:   01-2369099,” the bank explained.

Following the directives for partial lockdown in several  States across the country, we will be offering skeletal services in some of our branches across the nation.

These branches will be open from 9:00am to 2:00pm, Monday to Friday. We have implemented all necessary health and safety measures across these branches to keep you safe at all our locations.

For the list of branches, please go to https://www.firstbanknigeria.com/list-of-open-branches-nationwide/

Our alternative channels are available for you 24/7 during this period.

Thank you for your understanding at this period as we continue to work to put You First.

#FlattenTheCurve

Signed:

Folake Ani-Mumuney

Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications

First Bank of Nigeria Limited

As part of efforts to consummate the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) initiated policy aimed at reducing the figure of the unbanked populace by 20 percent by 2020 and to ensure greater participation in the nation’s financial sector, Heritage Bank Plc has keyed into this initiative to drive financial inclusion and promote economic growth.

CBN has mandated all banks in line with the 2020 financial inclusion target, to have a nationwide Account Opening Week.

The Account Opening Week is an initiative of the CBN, Bankers’ Committee and other Stakeholders to provide opportunities for financially excluded Nigerians and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises to open accounts with formal financial institutions, with the overall aim to access financial services to reduce the current 36.8per cent financially excluded to 20per cent and stimulate economic growth.

Towards this developments, Heritage Bank strategically deployed its technology and large number of staff to reach the large populace who do not have bank accounts in selected states were sensitised and mobilised to designated centres in rural areas, where they opened their personal accounts.

Speaking on this exercise, the MD/CEO of the bank, Ifie Sekibo stated that Heritage Bank has been at the fore front and continued to give its unreserved backing towards reducing the exclusion rate to 20per cent by 2020, create jobs, reduce poverty and improve the welfare of the people.

According to him, the bank succeeded in opening more than 2, 000 bank accounts in designated centres of the following six (6) states; Kano, Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Gombe, Bayelsa and Ondo.

Meanwhile, Sekibo made recourse to Heritage Bank’s supports so far, thereby noting that the bank have been taking aggressive approach with the introduction of agent banking partners.

He pinpointed that the bank has brought on board over 10,000 agent partners since the commencement and launching of ‘corner shop’, which lends credibility to the consistency of the service and how it is changing lives and empowering Nigerians across the country.

At this steady growth rate of approximately 17.5 percent new agent per month, one can say that hitting the long term vision of 100,000 active agents in five years is well within reach.

However, Sekibo explained that financially excluded persons constitute a gap in the financial system and there is no way to create a perfect economy except all these people are brought on board.

“Another issue is that the older generation seem to be averse to technology because they have not been exposed to it and the fear of fraud,” he also said, but assured that the CBN and the banks will continue to improve its technology space.

Pan African financial Institution, United Bank for Africa during the weekend held a Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) capacity training in Onitsha where about 400 small and medium scale business entrepreneurs in Onitsha, Anambra State, benefitted immensely from the impactful training.

The beneficiaries were trained in record keeping, cost reduction, stock compiling, financial and taxation planning, maximising opportunities, financial planning and projections.

UBA’s Regional Head of Anambra II Anyanuno Ozioma, who flagged of the MSME training said the capacity development workshop is intended to add value to customers’ businesses through improving their knowledge and skills. It was also conceptualised to fill the existing gaps observed in business and allay beneficiaries’ hitherto fears of expanding their businesses.

He said: “Modern day business requires that an average businessman regularly updates his knowledge to cope with the changing economy. Besides, this is an internet/ technology driven age and our customers need to learn new ways of doing business and how to package their businesses for increased patronage.”

Anyanuno said the turnout was a demonstration of the bank’s acceptance by the traders and the importance they attached to the workshop. He promised a repeat of the exercise to accommodate more people.

Head of E-banking Babatunde Ajayi said the programme was part of the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in furtherance of its responsiveness to customers’ needs while also assuring that the bank is 100 percent committed to the overall growth and success of its customers.

Entrepreneurs who spoke after the training commended and appreciated UBA for such a novel initiative which they noted is what their businesses truly needs to succeed.