After a rigorous three- month training programme at the Fidelity Crest Academy, the graduates of the school were admitted into the bank’s workforce at the weekend.
Speaking at a cocktail ceremony to celebrate the graduands in Lagos, the Managing Director of the bank, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, urged them to make use of the exposure and training to excel in their various job functions. He stated that the rationale for setting up the Fidelity Crest Academy was to have a banking school that will help in training and equipping staff with the right skills to excel at work and compete favorably in the market place.
According to him, the bank places a great premium on its people and the academy was pivotal to grooming the next set of leaders of Fidelity Bank. “It is our desire to see a future CEO of Fidelity Bank from among you. We are committed to training you and giving you the right foundation to succeed. It is up to you to rise to the occasion and justify our investments in you” he said.
Recruited early this year and sent to the banking school, the new hires underwent an extensive training on the fundamentals of the banking business with course modules on Culture, Bank Processes and Products; Fundamentals of Banking Business and Personal Effectiveness; Comprehensive Banking Operations and Understanding Banking Business; Financial Statement Analysis and Fundamentals of Credit.
As Fidelity Bank approaches its 30th anniversary, it has become imperative to focus on grooming a new crop of leaders. Fidelity Bank’s Executive Director, Shared Services & Products, Chijioke Ugochukwu assured that the initiative would attain its overall objective of producing the next generation of home grown leaders to ensure growth and future sustainability. “The Bank’s tomorrow is in your hands”, she charged the new hires.
Highlights of the ceremony was the recognition of outstanding performers amongst the graduate trainees. The best in each of the 4 course modules got rewarded just as the 3 overall best graduands each got gift items including cash prizes.
Sterling Bank supports LEAP Africa to train 1,000 SMEs
Sterling Bank Plc has thrown its support behind LEAP Africa to train more than 1,000 SME operators.
Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, Mr. Henry Bassey, Chief Marketing Officer of Sterling Bank said the bank was particularly excited to partner with LEAP Africa on this programme because this year it has decided to amplify its focus on SMEs as it has been positioned as a start-up bank.
He said identifying partnerships with companies like LEAP Africa would further reinforce the bank’s ability to achieve it’s goals better.
The Founder of LEAP Africa, Mrs. Ndidi Nwuneli ,thanked Sterling Bank for supporting her company for the past two years to organise the annual event.
She said, “We decided to focus on the theme of this year’s programme: Managing Growth for Profitability because it’s been a tough 24 months for SMEs in Nigeria because of the challenges facing the country.”
Nwuneli said they really believed that in spite of the challenges, SMEs could survive in Nigeria if they have the right business fundamentals, adding that the theme of the forum is really focused on how an entrepreneur can grow his company profitably.
According to her, they want companies in Nigeria to grow profitably by putting in place the right systems and structures, governance, the right human resources, strategies because talent is key to success, the right financial systems, control and financial management tools as well as innovation.
She added: “We need SMEs to be at the cutting edge of development and that is why they are thinking about their next phase of growth.”
Also speaking, Mr. Femi Taiwo, director of programmes with LEAP Africa, said their annual CEOs forum is a forum where they bring more than 1,000 SMEs to discuss issues relating to business growth and management.
He said they had done it for 11 years and this year they are having a bigger version to discuss people’s management, financial management, innovation and marketing, adding that everything is geared towards managing growth for profitability.
Some of the speakers at the forum include Mr. Fabian Ajogwu (SAN), principal partner at Kenna Partners and a professor of corporate governance at the Lagos Business School, Mrs. Tara Fola- Durotoye, CEO, House of Tara International and Seyi Abolaji, CEO Wilson Juice Company,
Others are Nnamdi Ezeigbo, Founder/CEO Slot Systems Limited, Omolara Akinfolarin, Head, MSME, Sterling Bank; Peter Bamkole, Director, Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), Edith Azinge, Executive Director, EMEDITH Consulting, Mrs. Bisi Adeyemi, Managing Director, DCSL Corporate Services Limited as well as Mr. Adebayo Akinwunmi, Hartford Green Consulting.
GTB launches biometric mobile app
Guaranty Trust Bank Plc may be leading the future of digital banking with the launch of GTWorld, a mobile banking app that is designed to cater to all that’s important to customers easily and seamlessly.
Built on the back of the bank’s customer-centric digital strategy, GTWorld features biometric authentication, such as facial recognition and fingerprint, which recognizes a customer and adapts to how and when they want to bank. The Mobile banking app also features a seamless switch to GAPS Lite, the online banking platform for small businesses which offers a flexible and secure channel to make payments and collections anywhere in the world.
Commenting on the launch, Segun Agbaje, the Managing Director of the bank, said: “We are delighted to be at the forefront of digital banking solutions that are making banking faster, easier and safer for our customers. The simplicity of GTWorld and innovations such as facial recognition and fingerprint also ensure that our customers enjoy a seamless experience, anywhere, anytime and anyhow they choose to bank.
“GTbank has consistently played a leading role in Africa’s banking industry. The GTBank brand is regarded by industry watchers as one of the best run financial institutions across its subsidiary countries and serves as a role model within the financial services industry due to its bias for world class corporate governance standards and excellent services.”
quality and innovation.
