Society Gists

Access Bank Plc has emerged the best bank in Nigeria for the year 2016. The announcement was made by the Award Committee at this year’s BusinessDay Annual Banking Awards which held at the Eko Hotels on Friday night.As a confirmation of an exceptional performance in 2015, Access Bank’s Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Herbert Wigwe, was also honoured as the Bank CEO of the Year. It would be recalled that the Bank had earlier won Euromoney’s Best Bank Transformation Award in the Euromoney 2016 Awards for Excellence.

Business Day’s Annual Banking Awards Programme which has become the banking industry’s benchmark for outstanding performance was introduced five years ago to recognise Nigerian banks and their officials who diligently managed their resources to attain a healthy balance between risk, safety and profitability.

Eminent Nigerians at the event include, Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor of Lagos State, represented by former Lagos Deputy Governor, Femi Pedro. Others were President of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Mrs. Nike Akande, the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN), CEOs of deposit money banks, mortgage banks, microfinance banks and leading stock broking firms.

In his acceptance speech at the event, Wigwe said he was delighted to receive the coveted award noting that it was in recognition of the huge elevation of Access Bank to the top three position of the Nigerian banking industry.

He dedicated the award to the Bank’s staff for their contributions to the growth momentum and the seven million customers who have been instrumental to the Bank’s success.

 He noted that “Access Bank has been transformed into a large diversified enterprise in line   with   our   five-year  strategy  to become the world’s most respected African Bank.’’

In his welcome address, Frank Aigbogun, Publisher/CEO of BusinessDay, emphasised the need for a healthy competition among Nigerian banks and other institutions as this is the only way customers could get value for their money.

Pedro, who represented Governor Ambode, said, “Given Nigeria’s challenging environment, it takes special effort and dedication to receive Awards from a reputable organisation like BusinessDay. The sector remains critical to the growth of the economy while the quest for diversification from the oil sector cannot be realised without access to funds,” he stated.