The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Access Bank

  • Access Bank’s PayWithCapture gives discount to customers

    Access Bank’s PayWithCapture gives discount to customers

    Access Bank has commenced a discount promotion that gets 50 per cent off customer purchases from some of the leading stores, retails outlets and eateries nationwide. The promo tagged ’12 days of Christmas’ will run for 12 days, starting from December 21, 2015 to January 1, 2016.

    To participate, customers are to download PayWithCapture from the Apple store, Google Play Store and Blackberry World. PayWithCapture is Nigeria’s leading innovative contactless payment solution that allows users make payments via generated codes. The mobile payments application and infrastructure enables users to scan a code through their phone cameras at merchants’ point of sale as an alternative to making payments via cards on Point of Sale (POS) terminals.

    PaywithCapture customers are to get up to 50 per cent discount off a variety of purchases and items, such as airtime, movie tickets, food, creameries and taxi services from Domino’s Pizza, Cold Stone Creamery, Genesis Deluxe Cinema, Filmhouse Cinemas, Silverbird Cinemas, Ozone Cinemas, Sweet Kiwi Frozen Yoghurt, SPAR, Debra’s Grace, Easy Taxi, Bungalow’s Restaurant, Spice Restaurant, Traclist, PayPorte, Mall for Africa, Terra Kulture, LG, Edmark, SLOT, MedPlus, Addidde, Rhapsody’s Ikeja, and Bazaar Farm & Storesduring the ‘12days of Christmas’ promo.

    “We are big on giving back! Wewant to ensure that our consumers enjoy this festive period, and these offerings on PayWithCapture’s ’12 days of Christmas’ provide a valid opportunity to usher them into a prosperous New Year”, said Amaechi Okobi, the bank’s Head, Strategic Brand Management.

     

  • Access Bank chair to speak at business forum

    Access Bank chair to speak at business forum

    Professionals and entrepreneurs will meet next Wednesday at Oriental Hotel to discuss  ways to improve the economy through business opportunities and networking.

    MoveBackToNigeria (MBTN) and Young African MBAs (YAM) are organizing the event that will afford young entrepreneurs within the country and from the Diaspora an opportunity to meet investors and business development professionals, with the aim of improving businesses.

    Chairman, Access Bank, Mrs Mosun Belo-Olusoga,  will deliver a keynote address at the business forum, after which there would be a panel discussion featuring successful entrepreneurs, including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Agrolay Ventures, Ada Osakwe, CEO of Okadabooks.com, Okechukwu Ofili, Managing Director of Hotels.ng, Mark Essien, and CEO of TalentMine, Dr. Femi Kuti.

    The event, which is billed to start at 5:30pm, would also feature an award ceremony to honour personalities who featured in MBTN weekly interviews.

    According to the organisers, the gathering would enable participants and guests to network and interact on business ideas.

  • Winners emerge in Access Bank ‘W’ awards

    Winners have emerged in  the maiden edition of Access Bank ‘W’ awards in honour of Nigerian women who have done exceptionally well in their different fields and contributed to the development of the nation.

    At a ceremony marking the climax of the biggest innovative conference in Africa, the Access Leadership Conference 2015 which held in Lagos,the bank recognised women who emerged winners under the four categories of the W awards. These are the ‘W Entrepreneur of the Year’, ‘W Young Professional of the Year, ‘W Seasoned Professional of the Year and ‘W Amazon of the Year’.

    The former Managing Director,  Bank of Industry, Mrs. Evelyn Oputu, said that Access Bank sought for Nigerian women who, despite their contributions to sustainable socio-economic development not only in Nigeria, but across the globe still pay special attention to whom they really are,  the home maker.

    “The women that are being honoured today are those who despite the challenges we face in this part of the world, still hold their heads high. These are women who have built excellent career in their various fields of endeavour, women who have impacted the world and remained feminine,” Oputu said.

    According to her, women play important roles in the economy through trading, labour, and employment. Indeed, the role of women in the family unit has made them indispensable entities in the struggle to survive against the harsh realities of time and tended to endow them with significant influence in the society, Oputu noted.

    Lucy Alexander, Journalist and Newsreader at Skye News London, who anchored the conference announced the winners as Iquo Ukoh, the first female Executive Director at Nestle Nigeria Plc clinched the ‘W Seasoned Professional’ of the year award. With a career spanning over 34 years, Iquo is a keen advocate of youth empowerment.

    A professional with a passion for challenges, Rashidat Adebisi received the “W Young Professional” award. Adebisi was part of the team that grew AXA Mansard Insurance from a one-time small business to an undisputed industry leader.

  • Access Bank plans $120,000 prize for Lagos marathon top winners

    Access Bank plans $120,000 prize for Lagos marathon top winners

    Three top winners in the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon slated for February 6, next year will go home with $120,000, the bank’s Executive Director, Personal Banking Division, Victor Etuokwu has said.

    Speaking at a briefing ahead of the competition, he said the project, sponsored by the bank, will succeed because of the commitment of the Lagos State Government and other stakeholders involved in it.

    He said the first winner would go home with $50,000; first runner up, $40,000 and third winner would get $30,000. There would also be other cash prizes for the first 10 winners, he said.

    Etuokwu said: “As a banker to the Lagos State government, we felt the marathon is something we can support. Marathons help to showcase economic potentials of cities where they are held. It will boost the Lagos economy.

    “Marathon brings people from all walks of life together to a state and creates a platform on which the city is showcased. People see the vibrancy and the friendly nature of the city when they partake in a marathon. While a business conference may bring in the people, marathon does more in showcasing a city.

    “This is why as a bank, we have decided to be part of it and also because the Athletic Federation of Nigeria and the International Association of Athletics Federation have endorsed it.”

    Lagos State Sports Commissioner, Ayodeji Tinubu, said the first 20 Nigerians to cross the finish line will get prizes starting from N1 million each. He said the 42 kilometer international marathon,  will to start from the National Stadium, through Ojota to link up with the Third Mainland Bridge, through Ikoyi to the Lekki Toll Gate to link Bonny Camp and end at the Eko Atlantic City.

    Tinubu noted that as the first full marathon to be run in the country, Access Bank and its partners were set to make it an international event by ensuring “that every little detail that should be done is done to make it sure that it is the best in Africa. “It is going to be a marathon of international standard and part of what we have done to make it of international standard is to ensure that every single runner will have a tracker that will tell us where they are at every point in time,” he said.

  • IPMAN partners pan, Access Bank on car acquisition

    IPMAN partners pan, Access Bank on car acquisition

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), yesterday partnered Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN)  and Access Banl in the Peugeot Car acquisition scheme for its members nationwide

    Speaking at the event  in Abuja, the National President of IPMAN, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo, said the scheme is to help members acquire brand new cars in order to ease their mobility and improve their welfare.

    He said the scheme will create a level ground for the promotion and actualisation of made-in-Nigeria products thereby creating jobs for the youths.

    “These patronages for made-in-Nigeria products will create more jobs for the youths in Nigeria which will help reduce unemployment in the country,” he said.

    Also speaking, the Managing Director, Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN), Alhaji Ibrahim Boyi, said Pan has been leading automobile plant in Nigeria for the past 45years.

    He said most of the auto technicians and mechanics we have, are either products of PAN, or made by PAN, adding that PAN is very conscious of that provision in  the market.

    “We are very proud of our products in terms of quality, performance, real efficiency and the operation cost of running. Our products are lower and the ownership cost is exceptional,” he said.

    He said with more patronage, PAN would create create more job opportunities for employment, investment which he said will help develop the Nigeria economy.

  • Access Bank hosts anti-fraud forum

    Access Bank hosts anti-fraud forum

    Access Bank Plc will host stakeholders involved in anti-fraud functions in various banks at a forum in Lagos.

    The forum, with the theme: “Fraud Management – The need for a Harmonised Approach” is an initiative of the lender to engage stakeholders on how to proactively solve the industry’s fraud challenges and to minimise frauds with active collaboration amongst stakeholders.

    The forum is expected to also provide an opportunity for anti-fraud officers of banks to further interact on ways this menace (Fraud) can be curbed by their joint collaboration.

    The bank’s Chief Internal Auditor, Yinka Tiamiyu said: “The Anti-Fraud forum is another way Access Bank demonstrates its commitment to go the extra mile towards using collaboration in fraud prevention.”

    Representatives from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Inspector General of Police, Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC), Akintola Williams Deloitte House, Ernst & Young, KPMG and Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) are expected to attend the forum with other participants from various banks.

    The forum holds this week Thursday.

  • Access Bank holds Int’l leadership confab

    Access Bank holds Int’l leadership confab

    Access Bank Leadership Conference for this year will focus on enhancing Nigeria’s technology capabilities and adding value to the economy.

    Speaking at a press briefing announcing the conference which hold December 10,  the bank’s Executive Director, Personal Banking Division, Victor Etuokwu, listed Chris Hughes (Facebook Co-Founder), Steve Wozniak (Apple Co-Founder), Tony Fernandes (Air AsiaFounder and CEO) among others.

    He explained that the inaugural conference in 2013 included an array of prominent global leaders, such as former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and John Kuffour, who discussed the importance of sustainable leadership as a means to bring about change in society.

    He recalled that in a call to arms for Nigerian businesses, former US President George W. Bush spoke on the need for a strong entrepreneurial culture in the fight against poverty.

    He said the conference theme is: ‘Leading in a transformational world – the imperative of innovation’.

    Etuokwu said life-changing innovations popping up in unexpected places around the globe with breakthrough developments in sectors such as nanotech, biotech, artificial intelligence, robotics and more, will affect every sector of the global economy in such a way that businesses will have nowhere to hide. According to him, innovation means BIG change and even BIGGER opportunities for those who decide to be part of it.

    “As we are all experiencing it, innovation is moving at a speed that’s never been witnessed. With 2 billion internet users worldwide and 50 billion connected devices by 2020, innovative technology is definitely the defining trend for today’s business,” he noted.

    Keynote speaker and Access Bank Chief Executive, Herbert Wigwe, said: “I am delighted to welcome such a distinguished line-up of individuals to the Access Conference 2015. We founded the event in recognition that Africa must now play a central role in the global debates that matter to its citizens”.

    He said that whether it is technology, entrepreneurship or the impact of financial regulation on growth, the future direction of the world is increasingly being played out in this continent.

  • Access Bank, PAN sign vehicle finance MoU

    Access Bank Plc has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) to make it easier for customers to buy new cars.

    The two firms said the programme, Access Bank/Peugeot Vehicle Acquisition Scheme, would enable more aspiring customers acquire any of the Peugeot models available in the company and spread the payment over a specified period.

    The Executive Director, Access Bank, Victor Etuokwu, who was at the signing of the agreement in Lagos, said the process of acquiring the vehicles was easy.

    He said the scheme, which began  at the weekend, would last for one year while customers are expected to fully repay the loan within four years.

    Etokwu explained that to access the loan, aspiring car owners are expected to deposit 20 per cent upfront with 24 per cent interest rate, adding that the partnership was in support of the Federal Government’s automotive policy, which commenced in 2014.

    He maintained that the culture of the bank was to support mobility of people and hoped that with the partnership, more people would be able to purchase vehicles of their choice at affordable prices.

    “We are opportune to partner with the PAN because the company is one of the leading firms in the sector today while Access Bank too is among the top 15 banks on the continent in terms of assets. We want to build benefits for customers with our partnership,” he said.

    “Experts announced recently that over 90 per cent of the world’s resources would be concentrated and managed by about one per cent of the world populace by the end of 2016. We want to create value as an institution and we are both concerned about the welfare of the people. This scheme provides opportunity for people who do not have the resources to buy a car outright.”

    PAN Managing Director, Ibrahim Boyi, said the scheme was open to all customers, including those with or without functional account with the bank.

    He said both parties had cautiously designed the scheme to enable beneficiaries gain access to the system, declaring that this would make the cars to be affordable with long-term benefits to customers.

  • Access Bank rallies as shareholders get N5.7b interim dividend

    Access Bank rallies as shareholders get N5.7b interim dividend

    Access Bank Plc was a major contrarian stock in the negative trading at the Nigerian stock market yesterday as the top-tier commercial bank released its half-year earnings report, showing impressive growths across key fundamentals.

    On the strength of the six-month earnings, which saw 43 per cent growth in gross earnings and 39 per cent in profit after tax, the board of the bank has recommended distribution of N5.72 billion as interim dividend to shareholders. The breakdown of the dividend recommendation indicated that shareholders on the register of the bank as at the close of business on September 3, 2015 would receive a dividend per share of 25 kobo. More than 830,000 shareholders would benefit from the interim dividend, which becomes payable on September 10, 2 105.

    Against the average decline of 0.98 per cent, Access Bank’s share price rose by 4.91 per cent, the fourth highest percentage gain, to close at N4.29 as the news made the round at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

    Key extracts of the audited report for the six-month ended June 30, 2015 showed that gross earnings rose by 43 per cent to N168.3 billion in first half 2015 as against N117.9 billion recorded in comparable period of 2014. The top-line was boosted by an 18 per cent increase in interest income to N98.9 billion in the first half of 2015 compared with N83.6 billion in the comparable period of 2014. Group profit before tax leapt by 44 per cent to N39.1 billion as against N27.1 billion in previous year while profit after tax grew by 39 per cent to N31.3 billion in first half 2015 compared with N22.6 billion in first half 2014.

    Non-interest income had risen by 101 per cent to N69.4 billion in first half 2015 as against N34.6 billion in first half 2014. Return on average equity improved to 21.6 per cent in first half 2015 from 16.5 per cent in 2014.

    Group managing director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe said the results reflect the bank’s concerted efforts to deliver on its growth objectives for 2015.

    According to him, while the first half of the year was defined by significant macro-economic and policy headwinds with major impact on all aspects of its business, the group despite those challenges reported improved profits in the first half of the year with significant contributions from its securities trading business.

    He commended the strong support from shareholders of the bank noting that the success of the recently concluded rights issue which raised N41.8 billion has placed the bank in a stronger position.

    “With our capital position secure, our priority will be to focus on; driving migration of our customers to alternative platforms  to boost profitability of our channels; implementing  our customer service improvement initiatives; generating low-cost liability from continued engagement with customers; growing risk assets by deepening market share in target sectors; optimising and improving penetration of our customers’ value chain and driving operational efficiency through  cost containment and procurement optimization measures,” Wigwe said.

  • Access Bank gives N11b facility to women-owned businesses

    Access Bank gives N11b facility to women-owned businesses

    Access Bank Plc has empowered businesses run by women with loans worth N11 billion within one year of introduction of its “W” initiative.

    According to the lender, a breakdown of the disbursement shows that N9 billion was given out to women-owned businesses, while N2 billion was disbursed to individuals.

    The bank, during the year under review, recorded 40 percent growth portfolio with 500,000 women banking with it.

    The bank’s executive director, personal banking, said: “July this year, we celebrated one year of “W” initiative, and it has done quite well. We just started and we have gotten attention of this sector”.

    He disclosed that the lender will, in December this year, under its W- initiative, celebrate women who had surpassed all odds to achieve success. The bank has therefore, created four awards category for women whose contributions to the national economy.

    The first category is women entrepreneurship of the year award. This is an award for the woman entrepreneur who has a well-defined running business. The second category is young professional of the year award. This award is for women between 25 and 35 years, who stand out in their profession. The third and forth category are seasoned professional of the year award and Amazon of the year award.

    While the seasoned award will go to a woman who has seen it all and who has done great things, a special woman who has been able to combine family and business effectively will clinch the Amazon award. The award, according to the bank’s executive director, is part of women empowerment and inclusive programmes of the bank. Presently, the bank is requesting for nominations of women that merit the criteria for any of the award categories.

    ‘W’ Initiative of the bank offers privileges to women and their families to a variety of products, including access to a comprehensive range of loan products and credit facilities; access to the ‘W’ community with helpful advice on family and financial matters; home and family articles and details of special offers, and access to a wide range of discounts, special offers and freebies on health, beauty and fitness.