At the third anniversary of the Federal Government’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP), Unity Bank Plc received commendation from President Muhammadu Buhari and a recognition award from Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) for its participation in the noble initiative.
The farmers presented the award recently in Abuja during a gala night organised by beneficiaries of the government’s ABP, held at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Receiving the award on behalf of management and staff, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Unity Bank, Mrs. Tomi Somefun, commended the Federal Government, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and members of RIFAN for the recognition and promised that the bank will continue to contribute towards continual success of the ABP initiative.
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Unity Bank Plc also recently won the CBN 2018 Sustainable Banking Award, having emerged tops in the category of Sustainable Transaction of the Year in Agriculture.
The lender won the coveted award for its compliance with the Sustainable Banking Principles as it relates to the management of Environmental and Social Risk set out by CBN for adoption by Nigerian banks, discount houses and development banks.
At the just concluded bankers’ retreat held in Lagos, CBN, while presenting the award to the bank, commended its efforts in promoting the ABP, stressing that the lender deserves the award because of the role it played in actualisation and management of the project.
The social and economic impact of the project on the household income of over 270,000 participating smallholder farmers as well as the contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country cannot be under estimated.
Commenting on the award, the MD/CEO of Unity Bank Plc, Mrs. Somefun, observed that the bank has successfully on-boarded over 90,000 hitherto financially excluded farmers and generated Bank Verification Number (BVN) for them to facilitate financial and banking transactions. Capacities of about 60 agro input suppliers were expanded through provision of facilities and financial advisory services.
“Safeguards shall exist to protect rare and endangered species, preservation of conservation zones and protection of grazing and forest reserves.”
The bank’s Environmental Management Programme covers comprehensive business operations and endeavours to achieve minimum adverse impact on the environment in the scope of its business activities.