The Managing Director of Ecobank Nigeria PLC, Patrick Akinwuntan, has reiterated the need for collaboration between the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and the bank on financial inclusion and capacity building.
Akinwuntan, who was speaking against the backdrop of Ecobank’s giant strides in the digital banking space during a CIBN stakeholder’s engagement with the bank in Lagos, noted that partnership with the Institute would further boost the financial strategy of the industry regulators.
According to him, Ecobank will continue to leverage its digital banking in a sustainable manner to bring banking services to every household in Nigeria.
He added that the bank is at the forefront of providing mobile payment solutions in n the country.
“Ecobank through our various innovative digital payments and collections is attracting many unbanked and under-banked in the country to the financial landscape.
“Further collaboration with such a notable organisation as the CIBN will further boost the financial inclusiveness the regulators are pushing,” he said.
He took the stakeholders through the various digital payment solutions such as RapidTransfer, EcobankPay, QR Technology, EcobankPay zones, Xpress Account and Mobile Payment, among others.
He stressed that apart from stress-free transactions, the product and services was boosting business and economic activities across the country and the Africa continent.
He disclosed that the Bank has concluded plans to commission 50 EcobankPay zones across the country within the next six months to boost transactions in market clusters.
In his remarks, the President and Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Uche Olowu commended Ecobank’s strategies at attracting the unbanked and under-banked in the country through its various digital offerings.
He affirmed that Ecobank’s recent activities across various markets clusters are a major boost to the regulators financial inclusion policy.
Dr. Olowu noted that apart from stress-free transactions process enjoyed with these digital products, they are fast boosting business and economic activities across the markets.
“We commend the bank on its promotion of digital banking and payments through its various platforms which have won it many awards.
“This is certainly the way to go. And, we also appreciate your support to the Institute’s activities and programmes,” the CIBN President said.
He added that the institute is collaborating with banks including Ecobank to promote capacity building, ethics and professionalism in the sector.
According to him “your activities in developing the industry aligns with the Institutes’ new leadership strategic areas which include; skills and competency, ethics and professionalism, research and advocacy.
“We facilitate registration and enrolment of members of staff for professional banking examinations and other certification programmes.
“We enable the registration of senior executives of the banks on the Chartered Banker MBA Programme (An international fast tract/flexible route to becoming a chartered banker). There are many things we can do together to move the banking industry forward.”
