Oceanic Bank partners Grameen
By SEUN ADESIDA
Monday, September 1, 2008
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Phtoto:
Sun News Publishing
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As part of strategies to strengthen its depth and skill in
micro finance banking and poverty alleviation, Oceanic Bank
International Plc is partnering with Grameen Bank of Bangladesh
on the training of its staff.
Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Oceanic Bank
Dr. (Mrs.).Cecilia Ibru who disclosed this in Lagos at the
International Conference on Micro Finance said the bank intends
to tap from the rich experience of Grameen Bank in micro finance
banking and poverty alleviation to drive its vision of building
a stronger Nigeria.
Dr. Ibru said that the experience of Grameen Bank has shown
that it is possible to fight and reduce poverty given the
right skills, funds and mindset.
Delivering a paper titled, “Financial Sector Deepening
through microfinance”, she argued that the Nigerian
economy cannot be buoyant if the micro finance banks or institutions
operate in a manner that low income earners and the poor find
it difficult to access credits from them.
Looking at the operating terrain of micro finance banks in
Nigeria, Dr. Ibru said, “There are many challenges,
despite efforts put together. The level of poverty remains
high and prosperity cannot be addressed by sidelining the
issue of those below the poverty line. I think there should
be a welfare status and securities for these people.”
She added that Oceanic Bank has come up with different products
which include Oceanic micro savings accounts; Oceanic micro
asset leasing and oceanic group financing that can meet the
demand of low income people.
The Oceanic Bank boss however called for concerted efforts
towards the eradication of poverty, stressing that that no
government or a single person can win the fight alone.
She stated the desire to uplift the wellbeing of Nigerians
living in poverty informed the willingness of the bank to
partner Grameen Bank especially in the area of training to
boost Oceanic Bank’s staff skills and depth in microfinance.
Dr. Ibru also called for the creation of a social stock market
where only the shares of social businesses will be traded
adding that an investor will come to this stock-exchange with
a clear intention of finding a social business, which has
a mission of his liking. Anyone who wants to make money will
go to the existing stock-market.
Founder of Grameen Bank Prof. Mohammad Yunus speaking at a
special interview session with Dr (Mrs.) Ibru said the Bangladesh
microfinance bank is ready to help train Nigerian institutions
on well to employ micro credits to fight poverty.
He said Grameen Bank is ready to partner Oceanic Bank in the
training of its staff in micro finance banking in order to
enable the bank develop expertise and strength in micro finance.
He added that the Bangladesh bank is ready to send some of
its staff to train Oceanic bank staff on microfinance.
Prof Yunus said he established Grameen Bank in 1974 as a micro-credit
institution for the purposes of helping the poor.
Today the bank has about 2,500 branches, and staff strength
of 27,000
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