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Tag: Ecobank

  • Ecobank reopens in Omu-Aran, five years after closure

    Ecobank branch in Omu-Aran, Kwara, closed since May, 2013, following a robbery attack has begun skeletal services, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

    A News Agency of Nigeria correspondent reports that, although the bank had yet to throw its gate open to customers, the bank’s Automated Teller Machines (ATM) had been activated and functioning.

    Scores of customers were seen queuing up to make transactions on the ATM’s when News Agency of Nigeria visited the bank’s premises along Aperan Way in the metropolis on Tuesday morning.

    The bank was among two other banks attacked by armed bandits many years ago, resulting in the killing of three persons and an undisclosed amount of cash carted away in the process.

    Prior to the re-opening of the bank’s main branch in the town, the bank only maintained a cash centre inside the premises of Landmark University, specifically for the students.

    First Bank began skeletal operations in 2017 three years after the robbery attack, following intense pressure from the people of the community.

    The community in its bid to woo the banks back to business, few months after the incident, bought two Hilux security vehicles for the police in order to enhance its patrol and surveillance operations.

    The management of Ecobank had commenced renovation of the bank’s building in a bid to join First bank around April but was forced to abandon the plan following another robbery attack in Offa.

    Read Also: Ecobank supports orphanages in Lagos, Ibadan others

    The residents, especially banks’ customers in separate interviews with News Agency of Nigeria, described the re-opening as “heartwarming, unprecedented and a welcome development’’.

    “We are gradually going back to the good old days as far as banking is concerned in Omu-Aran. This re-opening of another bank is a big relief to us and we are happy,’’ Azeez Abiodun, a civil servant, said.

    Mrs Esther Omobolanle, a trader, said she had been anxiously looking forward to the re-opening of the bank’s branch in order to continue her transactions with the bank.

    “I was forced to open another account with First Bank when the bank refused to open after the robbery attack but I am the happiest person today as the bank has showed its commitment to fully start operation, ‘’ she said.

    Mr Muyiwa Oladipo, the Chairman of Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara, praised the bank’s management for acceding to the yearnings and aspirations of its teeming customers in the area.

    He pledged its administration’s unrelenting support toward ensuring adequate protection that would enhance safe banking operations for bank customers and generality of the people.

    Chief Bisi Adeyemi, President, Omu-Aran Development Association (ODA), on his part, expressed the community’s appreciation to the management of the bank for its magnanimity in re-opening the bank’s branch.

    An official of the bank, who preferred anonymity, told News Agency of Nigeria that the bank was already in the process of mobilising its staff in order to commence full banking transactions in the branch.

    NAN

  • Ecobank wins 2018 MSME award

    The Board of the Nigeria Entrepreneurs Award (NEA) has named Ecobank Nigeria as the best Supporting Bank to Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Nigeria for 2018.

    According to the board, Ecobank was selected alongside winners in other categories following a rigorous process that saw 2,364 nominations across different sectors for their socio-economic impact and entrepreneurial achievements in 2018.

    The Nigeria Entrepreneurs Award is a platform created to celebrate and honour young and emerging entrepreneurs, business executives, corporate organizations and heads of government agencies that have positively impacted the nation’s economy.

    The Nigeria Entrepreneurs Award (NEA) stated that Ecobank won MSME Bank of The Year award based on its sterling performance and contributions towards national development with a focus on promoting growth and innovation in business.

    Speaking at the award ceremony in Lagos over the weekend, Executive Director, Nigeria Entrepreneurs Award, Uwabor Joshua, said the Award remains the number one platform that identifies, celebrates and honor Nigerian entrepreneurs who have made a difference and are an inspiration to others. He stated that since the inception of the award four years ago, more than 60 entrepreneurs, heads of government, agencies, corporate organisations from around the country have been recognized for their vital contributions to the economy.

    According to him, “This Award is remarkably the most prestigious and highly celebrated business award in Nigeria. This is recognizing entrepreneurs and game changers of business in Nigeria for their continuing commitment to excellence, developing best practices and innovative strategies. The idea behind the Award is to promote a culture of excellence in young and emerging business leaders and showcase thriving businesses in the country.”

     

     

  • Ecobank supports orphanages in Lagos, Ibadan others

    Ecobank Nigeria’s employees and management have displayed their commitment to communities by giving up their free time to support orphanages in Lagos, Ibadan, Enugu and Abuja to mark the Ecobank Day 2018.

    Activities, on Ecobank’s ‘Support for Orphanages in Africa’ Day resulted in giving out of food and household items to the selected orphanages. The staff also spent good time with the children of the Homes.

    Ecobank Day is a community action day in a year, set aside by Ecobank Group duringwhich its staff across Africa are encouraged to serve the communities in which the Group operates. It is simultaneously marked in 33 African countries where the bank has presence.

    This year’s event, the sixth in the series with the theme “Supporting Young Lives – it’s your day to make a difference” had an internal initiative where the bank’s employees were encouraged to turn their attentions from just servicing customer needs towards their local community.

    Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria Patrick Akinwuntan, who was guest at the Modupe Cole Memorial Child Care and Treatment Home, Lagos spoke of how important it is for businesses and their staff to give back to their local communities: “I am so pleased that we at Ecobank Nigeria have the opportunity to demonstrate our compassion and support for orphans. We are by this able to touch the children’s lives directly with the provisions and other items donated to the homes as well as the short but memorable time we’ve shared with the children”

     

     

  • Ecobank Lauds Kaduna Polo Club over centenary tournament

    The Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Patrick Akinwuntan has commended Kaduna Polo Club for organising Kaduna Polo tournament in the last 100 years. Mr. Akinwuntan said the Kaduna Polo Club has distinguished itself to become the reference point for the Polo game in Nigeria and Africa. “We felicitate with the organisers of Kaduna Polo tournament for the last 100 years despite the upward and downward trajectories of our political and economic history. This is by no means a small feat. As a pan – African Bank, we are indeed proud to be part of the supporters of the tournament.”

    Akinwuntan. who was represented by Regional Head, Advantage Banking FCT/North, Rita Etomi Ademola,  at the Centenary tournament in Kaduna recently, saluted the resilience and tenacity of Kaduna Polo Club for organizing the international tournament stressed that Ecobank is proud to be part of the success story.

    While re-stating the readiness of the bank to support various sport initiatives in the country, he disclosed that an aspect of the Bank’s vision revolves around “partnering with associations, organizations and reputable bodies that support sports development in the country. At Ecobank, we are well aware that boosting participation in sports can generate a variety of socio-economic benefits and also makes a profound and positive impact on individuals, communities and the wider society.”

    Speaking earlier, President of the club, Suleiman Abubakar commended the sponsors of the tournaments for keeping faith with the Club, adding that the competition has become popular over the years and usually attracts both local and foreign golf players across the world.

    According to him, the centenary tournament tagged “Tournament as celebration of legacy’’ is essentially to mark their achievements, stressing that “The Kaduna Polo is rolling out the drums to mark its Centenary. We have witnessed an unprecedented turn out of participants and sponsorship for the centenary polo tournament. We are very happy with what has been achieved. We are also celebrating the legacies of our fore fathers.”

    Kaduna Polo Club was established in 1918 by the British Colonial Administration. It is a melting point of the Northern Nigerian Elites from the first generation up this today. The annual tournament which started in 1919 and holds every year takes place at the famous Murtala Square Polo Ground and attracts politicians, top civil servants, military giants, technocrats, industry experts, etc. it is the nest of Africa’s most prestigious polo trophy, the Georgian Cup, an ancient trophy made of Georgian Silver in 1785 and donated to Kaduna Polo Club in 1919. The Kaduna Polo Club celebrates its 100 years anniversary this year.

     

  • Ecobank takes Consumer Service Week to Ikorodu

    The Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Patrick Akinwuntan rolled his sleeves and literately joined the team of “Bank Tellers” at the Ikorodu branch as the bank begins Customer Service Week.

     The bank Flagged off 2018 Customer Service Week at the Lagos suburb location on Tuesday, and the Managing Director who was on ground was seen attending to  customers in person.

    According to the bank’s MD, customers are king and he described the Customer Service Week as huge opportunity to say thank you and to celebrate customers of the bank.

    He said the week also avail opportunity to showcase some of the digital and innovative self-service options offered by Ecobank.

    “We have Ecobankmobile app, and it is only one app for all the affiliates of the group including Nigeria. When you are within the app, you can switch from one country to the other, you can do transfers from one country to the other, instantly, seamlessly, real-time.

    “On the app, you can also open an instant account, which we call Xpress account within 5 minutes, without having to go physically to the bank.  Also on the app you can pay for your electricity bills, school fees, membership fees for major associations, insurance premiums, DSTV, but more importantly, you can also generate a token, which we call Xpress Cash, and you can take that code to any Ecobank ATM and withdraw cash.

    It’s very convenient and we have more than 8 million onboarded users on Ecobankmobile across Africa including 1.5 million of these users in Nigeria” he said.

    Further, the bank Managing Director said “we also offer on the app what we call EcobankPay. This is a multi-featured digital payment solution, designed to deliver unified and instant payment across a range of interconnected QR platforms (Masterpass QR, mVISA and mCash).

    EcobankPay can be used by all businesses from small informal micro merchants to large corporates as well as governments, allowing them to offer easy and convenient payment options to their customers in-store or online.

    From Ecobankpay, you scan the code with your phone camera and make your payment. You can do this in any location with a Masterpass or mVISA QR code. Also on the app  there is the VISA Direct, which is a P to P functionality.

    This is the ability to use a VISA card to send money to another VISA card. When you have a VISA card and you have your account with a bank that is not Ecobank. You can, on our app, transfer money from your VISA card to another VISA card.

    The Managing Director also assured that the bank will  remain committed to excellence in products and services delivery at all its touch points.

    The Customer Service Week is a global event established by the International Customer Service Association. It is a week-long activity from October 1st – 5th, 2018 dedicated to raising awareness on customer service and the vital role it plays in successful business practices.

    The chosen theme for this year is “Excellence happens here”. Ecobank has announced that management staff across the bank will be available to serve customers as tellers during the week to commemorate the Customer Service Week 2018.

  • Ecobank marks Customer Service Week

    The Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Patrick Akinwuntan has restated the bank’s commitment to excellent service delivery to meet the needs and aspirations of its customers at all times. Flagging off the 2018 Customer Service Week at the Ikorodu branch of the bank yesterday.

    He said the week is a huge opportunity to say thank you and to celebrate customers of the bank. He assured that the bank will  remain committed to excellence in products and services delivery at all its touch points.

    “This is another moment to celebrate you. We will always celebrate you. You are the reason why we are in business. Excellent customer service is a vital part of our promise as a bank. For us, this is more than just providing answers. It’s helping customers even when they don’t know they need help. It’s teaching them how to do more with our products. It starts with a smile and a friendly word, and finishes with sharing our expertise, even when it has nothing at all to do with our products. We are committed to bringing you superior customer service, whenever, wherever, and however you need it. Thank you for choosing Ecobank.” He noted

    Akinwuntan , who was a “Bank Teller” today at the Ikorodu Branch used the opportunity to showcase some of the digital and innovative self-service options offered by Ecobank.

  • Ecobank backs Ikoyi Club Golf Tournament

    Ecobank Nigeria is offering an all-expense paid trip to Achimota Golf Club in Ghana to 10 lucky winners in a week long promo. The promo is part of the 2018 edition of ‘The Nigeria Cup’ Golf Tournament. The week-long annual golf tourney which kicked off on September 22 is organised by the Ikoyi Club 1938 to commemorate Nigeria’s Independence anniversary. The 2018 edition is set to be even bigger as it marks the 21st anniversary of the Tournament.

    Group Head, Personal Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, Ms. Ayodele Osolake who announced offer, said Ecobank is partnering with Ikoyi Club to make the 21st Anniversary edition of “The Nigeria Cup” more fun and even more interesting for golfers.

    “It is based on this that we have introduced the Promo into this year’s edition. Participants (including members and spectators) are expected to open an Ecobank current account in the course of this tournament with a minimum balance of N50,000 and maintain same in their account for at least three months; 10 lucky winners stand a chance to win an all-expenses paid golfing trip to Ghana’s prestigious Achimota Golf Club. As part of the promo participants whose accounts have gone dormant can reactivate it with the sum of N50,000 to qualify for the promotion. Multiple deposits of N50,000.00 are encouraged as each deposit of N50,000 represents one entry in the draws which will hold during the Club’s Christmas golf tournament, later this year,” she noted.

  • Ecobank Will be Available to Every Nigerian – Akinwuntan

    The Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Mr Patrick Akinwuntan has reaffirmed that his mandate in Nigeria is to grow the Ecobank brand by delivering it as a brand of choice.

    The bank Managing Director stated that Ecobank service will be available within the reach of every Nigerian either in their homes or locality through any of the bank’s versatile touch points.

    “My mandate in Nigeria is to deliver the brand promise of Ecobank as the platform of choice for convenient, affordable and instant banking services to customers in Nigeria. it’s our ambition that we are within easy reach in your locality at an Ecobank express point through our agents or within your arm’s length on your phone; you can open an account and you can make payment; you can receive payment straight on your phone and at any time cash out through our agent at any Ecobank  Xpress point or the  ATM.

    “In addition, our multi-featured digital payment solution, EcobankPay – this is our rebrand of the Ecobank Scan+Pay QR offering designed to allow us deliver unified and instant self-service across a range of interconnected payment solutions. This allows our customers pay in-store via the Ecobank mobile app or *326#.  It is the Ecobank everywhere strategy across Africa that we are implementing in Nigeria” he stated.

    Further Mr Akinwuntan who was responding to media questions in Lagos, said Ecobank is a central platform of choice for doing financial transactions across Africa, because the bank has more presence in African than any other any other financial institution, whether as a global player or as an African player.

    In his words; “we have more country presence than any other financial institution across Africa, currently 36 countries and therefore our central technology platform positions us as the platform of choice and enables us leverage for scale, efficiency, affordability, quality of service across the continent. We are able to relate our common product, common platform, common services, and common set value proposition to our customers.

    “We spent the last 2 years building on our unrivaled platform and laying the foundation that enables us accelerate to leadership in this market”.

    The Board of Directors of Ecobank Nigeria Limited appointed Patrick Akinwuntan as the Managing Director designate of Ecobank Nigeria, subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

    Ecobank today is a pan-African bank, a major contributor to the economic development and financial integration of Africa. The bank’s ground-breaking digital banking solutions – including the Ecobank Mobile app, Xpress account offering, which can be opened instantly with less documentation and Ecobank OMNI, that is our online payment platform for corporate customers, has in no small way unleashed the potential of Ecobank as the the unparalleled pan African platform and supports its goal to reach 100 million customers by 2020.

    “Ecobank is known to deliver a seamless customer experience across 36 African countries, bringing wholesale, retail, transactional and investment banking services to governments, financial institutions, multinationals, local companies, SMEs and individuals.

  • Ecobank supports “Back to School” payments

    Ecobank Nigeria’s products were designed to enable seamless payments for school fees and other purchases, Head, Consumer Marketing, Ecobank Nigeria, Ikechukwu Kalu has said.

    He affirmed that the bank provides services that support both local and international schools fees payments at very good rates; personal loans to help with school fees payments and the Ecobank versatile Mobile App that supports school fees and other related payments. All these are done in an easy, fast and convenient way.

    Responding to media enquiries on various ‘back to school’ initiatives of Ecobank, stated that apart from personal loans, the bank.

    Has a mix of digital payment options like its fast and convenient internet banking service. “As a bank that has the interest of its customers at heart especially this period when school resumes, we have put in place personal loan to help parents and guardians pay school fees for their children and wards. Also, we have put in place a convenient, accessible and reliable digital payment solutions like the Ecobank mobile app for shopping   and school fees payment. We’ve got your back coverd this new school year.”

    He urged the various schools to appoint the bank as their collecting financial institution to remove stress of delayed money transfer off them, nothing that Ecobank has demonstrated pedigree and expertise in fee collection, locally and internationally. He encouraged schools and individuals that are yet to open account with the bank to do so in order to access the services the bank offers.

  • Ecobank promises customers access to finance, markets

    Ecobank Nigeria Limited yesterday promised to provide improved access to credit and markets to its customers, especially  Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

    Its outgoing Managing Director/CEO, Charles Kie, said SMEs are seen as the backbone of national economy and Ecobank has great role to play to support them.

    “As a leadership institution, we have responsibility to provide solutions to SMEs and local corporates. We have capacity to give SMEs and local corporates a helping hand as they grow to become big corporates. We want to be very close and dear to their businesses. We will be there to support them anytime they need us,” Kie said.

    He said the bank wants to bond with its customers, giving them access to markets, finance and development partners such as the Bank of Industry (BoI), adding that the launch of Emerald Business Club will help the lender achieve the objectives.

    According to Kie, the bank wants to position SMEs to compete globally adding that there is a huge market in the global space.

    “We have over 19 million customers. The Emerald Business Club allows us to mentor the customers. Every restaurant operator, barbing saloon, among others are welcome to join the club.

    “It is with great pleasure that I wish to welcome you to the official launch of Ecobank Nigeria Emerald Business Club. This is an exclusive product for our Key Local Corporate and SME Clients. This is founded on our long term commitment to support Indigenous Businesses within the country and in line with Ecobank‘s Vision –   “to contribute to the economic development and financial integration of Africa”.

    He  said the bank recognises the need for Nigeria and Africa as a whole to grow organically hence its drive to contribute is quota as a bank in developing the economy through the provision of sustainable banking products and services that are needed to help business to grow.

    He said: “For this reason, we have resolved to expand our scope in our Commercial Banking Businesses and have designed a wide range of products specifically tailored to meet the needs of target customers (largely local corporate, SMEs and Key Public Sector participants. We have also developed a number of initiatives to support trade business and lending to our target customers. We are willing to work with the peculiarities of each customer’s business so as to grow the economy. In the same vein, The Emerald Business Club is being proposed as an implementation platform for this Ecobank focus approach.

    “Our pan African Footprint has consistently provided a strong platform for us to support trade and business growth across Africa. No other bank is better placed to serve you better than Ecobank. The bank is once again offering an amazing opportunity via the ‘Ecobank Emerald Business Club; our commercial bank customers who have been loyal now have an exciting time ahead of them.”