The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Service

  • Towards better service

    Towards better service

    Boot Communications, owners of Rockcity 101.9 FM in Abeokuta, Ogun State, hosted their partners to a dinner at Westown Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.OLATUNDE ODEBIYI reports.

    Penultimate Wednesday, guests dressed in classic and beautiful outfits, gathered at Westown Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos for Rockcity Partners’ dinner. Rockcity is a radio station based in Ogun State.

    The guests, who looked respledent  as they beamed with smiles, exchanged pleasantries and posed for photographs before the event began. The atmosphere was colourful and enchanting. The hall was decorated with red rugs and matching red chairs set around tables with white overlays.

    It was an evening for the Abeokuta-based radio station management and staff to  interact with their partners.

    The event began with the rendition of the national anthem and a popular stand-up comedian, Koffi Idowu Nuel (aka Koffi d Guru) kept the audience alive with rib-cracking jokes. He was the Master of Ceremony.

    Station Manager, Ify Onugbule, in her welcome address said the dinner was organised principally to know the partners and to re-present the station, which has officially moved from its former location to the ultra-modern new site on Rockcity Avenue, Asero Estate, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    Onyegbule also added that a lot has changed in the station’s programmes, which have continued to positively affect the lives of its listeners.

    The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Dr. Niran Malaolu thanked the guests for coming.

    He said RockcityFM is the first independent radio station in Ogun State, and also “the voice of the people. He is happy with its professional business of broadcasting.

    He said: “We are a different kind of radio station, especially in the ways we do our business of broadcasting. We are professional, credible and we value integrity. We deliver bespoke services to our partners and clients and we are always working on how to serve our clients better.”

    He added: “We, as a company, do what we are supposed to do professionally”.

    He noted that RockcityFM, as a media organisation, is a social service for the people and as such must be professional and credible to be believable.

    The Executive Director of the company, Mrs Chriatiana Malaolu, added that the station stands for intergrity, truth and justice. She thanked the media agencies for honouring their invitation.  “I am happy and delighted for the sucess of the programme because it will help in growing our relationship”.

    She said the programme was held in Lagos to enable its media partners attend.

  • Service delivery via social media

    Service delivery via social media

    Social Media operators across Africa converged on Lagos last weekend for the annual Social Media Awards Africa (SMAA), an initiative sponsored by Sterling Bank Plc.  The Executive Director, Finance & Strategy of the Bank, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman and other stakeholders speak on why banks should invest in the social media space and other developments in the thriving subsector, writes COLLINS NWEZE.

    The social media have and will continue to transform into what was never anticipated. Most operators of social networks are surprised with the diverse and astounding ways users have been able to engage and utilise their platforms.

    In Nigeria, the internet is highlighting the transformative nature and capacity of these networks to ensure that desired result is achieved.

    Sterling Bank is one of the lenders that has utilised the beauty of invention within social media- capacity and infinite opportunities therein to serve its customers better.

    The Executive Director, Finance & Strategy, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, admitted that many organisations are playing big in the social media space and the competition on the various platforms is being intensified and that the bank cannot be left behind.

    The bank executive director, who spoke following the Bank’s successful sponsorship of the annual Social Media Awards Africa in Lagos, said Facebook and Twitter alone reportedly serve an estimated 1.5 billion users globally.

    For him, that is more than enough attraction. “The followership is huge and cannot be ignored by any forward looking organisation. Then you have other platforms that are patronised by millions of people worldwide on a daily basis including Nigeria, where it has assumed a new dimension. For us at Sterling Bank, it is a response to the needs of our customers, who are fully engaged in the social media space and in line with our objective of being a customer-friendly financial institution,” he said.

    Speaking on the bank’s product development on social media, Suleiman said the bank took the use of the social media platform to another level last year when it introduced the social lender (Quick Cash Scheme).

    The scheme, he said, is designed to provide quick cash to members of the on-line community.

    “My submission is that social media allows your business to extend well beyond the immediate geographic area. With social media you can cut cross country, state, and even national barriers. Besides, if you look at our population, you will see that the youth constitutes a reasonable percentage. To reach out to them, you must use a platform where they access information, where they spend most of their time on a daily basis and it is definitely in the social media space,” he insisted.

    Suleiman said Sterling Bank identifies with Generation Y, (also known as the millennials), and will sustain its position as an organisation that understands the needs of its customers.

    The lender also leverages relevant platforms to proffer innovative solutions, which in turn enriches the lives of its customers. It will equally continue to focus on providing timely and convenient solutions to support its online customers through the social media platforms.

     

    Why support the initiative

     

    Suleiman said for the bank, it is not about what it wanted to gain from supporting the awards.

    “It’s all about recognising excellence and rewarding same. The Social Media Awards Africa is a premier continental initiative designed to recognise and celebrate excellence, creativity and enterprise in the use of social media by individuals and organisations across Africa. Sterling Bank is happy to associate with this because it is committed to advancing human and social development across Africa with a focus on the growing relevance of social media around the world and Africa in particular.

    “Apart from providing a platform for the bank to further consolidate its position as a leading light in the Social Media space, the lender has taken this project as a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative,” he said.

    The bank, he said, is always delighted to be associated with initiatives that will impact the lives of our people not only in Nigeria, but globally.

    This, he added, has seen the lender going into partnerships with institutions, especially in the areas of the environment, entertainment and education.

    The bank is in partnership with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and provided kits for its over 30,000 highway managers. It has also done same for some other states in the country.

     

    How the winners emerged

     

    The process leading to the emergence of the winners, he said, was handled by an independent organisation different from Sterling Bank. He praised the organisation’s professionalism in conducting the entire process.

    “We have absolute confidence in them. From the members of the Advisory Board to the Jury, you would see that people with rich background in Social Media were involved.I was particularly fascinated by the voting pattern and the level of transparency in the process. It must have generated a lot of palpitation for the contestants, who eventually emerged tops,” he said.

    The event, he explained, brought together social media influencers, experts, enthusiasts and policy makers to explore and forge new developmental paths for Africa.

    “The SMAA seeks to recognise and reward creativity and excellence among users of social media across Africa. The voting phase, which was part of the process led to the emergence of 43 finalists for the four categories. A total of 923 nominations were received during the nomination period as follows: Personality Based got 468 nominations; Platform Specific got 266 nominations; Institutional received 115 nominations while indigenous got 74 nominations.

    “Also, during the window period, over 5.5 million connections, at least 821,886 retweets and 29 million accounts were reached through all 22 social media platforms where the messages were promoted. The 15 winners of the award have received the sum of $15,000 as prize money from the bank. The prize money was handed over to the winners at the SMAA presentations with each of the winners going home with $1,000 each,” he said.

     

    Feedback from social media fol     lowers

     

    Suleiman said the bank is excited about the interest the award is generating barely few days after the awards.

    “I must say that already, the award is generating interest among institutions across the continent as a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), African Media Initiative based in Kenya has indicated interest and confirmed training for all the finalists. The Chief Executive of the organisation, Mr. Eric Chije, who was at the event, also commended the Bank for appreciating excellence and contributing to the continued growth of social media both in Nigeria and on the African continent,” he said.

    Suleiman insisted that the level of interest and participation has been very heart-warming, adding that the bank would continue to provide the required support to aid the achievement of the objectives of subsequent awards, which would be bigger and better.

    “Since its launch last year September, the Award has expanded both within and outside Africa. It has also trended globally and become the second most talked about subject on Twitter in Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US),” he said.

    Member, Advisory Board, Social Media Africa Awards, Ini Onuk said with four major categories and 15 awards, the SMAA is a genuine, timely intervention for promoting distinctive creativity, peerless innovation and pervasive developments on the African continent through the best use of social media platforms and the rest of the social web.

    “Social media has reconfigured the way in which all businesses and public entities now communicate. Open-sourced and inherently radical, it has created a space adverse to the tight image controls that brands once successfully exercised,” she said.

    She said before now, it was almost impossible to reach certain brands, persons and products, but with social media, marginalised dissenters can now make mince meat of the mightiest multinational brands, thanks to an explosion of public platforms that have created unlimited venues for sharing facts, spreading rumours and propagating aggressive calls to action.

    Social Media Influencer, Rich Simmonds, said social media platforms, e-commerce providers, and mobile money services, technology payment firms have brought new twists to how banking is done. He said Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, are helping banks reach out to the youth population.

    He said the SMAA was designed to recognise and celebrate excellence, creativity and enterprise in the use of social media – through its tools and platforms – by individuals and organisations across Africa. He commended Sterling Bank for making this year’s event a success.

    Simmonds said the event was an opportunity for participants to showcase the very best in Social Media on the African continent and reward individuals and institutions that have added value to the continent through the unique use of the platform.

    He said stakeholders should not overlook the importance of social media in today’s society and the increasing role it plays in the lives of people on a daily basis.

    Besides, Nigeria has over 63 million internet data subscribers; 11 million Facebook users and fourth fastest growing number of users worldwide. On Twitter, the country has 1.6 million profiles while 1.03 million business profiles and an unconfirmed number of professionals are hooked to LinkedIn.

    Analysts insist that with 25 banks and a network of 5,500 branches nationwide; 25 million banking customers against 127 million active mobile connections and 25 million users of smartphone, there is no doubt that a fertile market for digital play exists.

  • Dreck Chisora in 60 hours community service

    As a heavyweight boxer, Dereck Chisora is used to working hard.

    But even he seemed to be struggling as he got to grips with his community service this week.

    Chisora was spotted in north London hauling heavy bin bags and shovelling dirt after he threatened to kill a man in a car park last year.

    The 31-year-old has not fought since losing to British rival Tyson Fury last November.

    A week later, he lost his temper with a man whose friend blocked his Mercedes while they visited the Post Office.

    Chisora swore at driver Mansor Nikpor and threatened to kill his passenger Majid Rezaemi.

    The two men left a note on their car with a mobile number if anyone wanted them to move their car while they were at the post office.

    Chisora shouted at them as they walked away and again on their return. Mr Rezaemi threatened to phone the police but Chisora responded by saying: ‘I’m late for my appointment. I’ll kill you.’

    The former European champion was ordered to pay each victim £100 and complete 60 hours of community service after he admitted threatening behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke unlawful violence towards the pair.

  • Eligibility: Court orders service of documents on Jonathan

    Eligibility: Court orders service of documents on Jonathan

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that President Goodluck Jonathan be served with court documents in relation to a fresh suit challenging his eligibility to stand for re-election.

    Justice Ahmed Mohammed granted an ex-parte order directing the service of the court documents on the President either through the office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) or the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

    The judge made order for substituted service on the court documents on Jonathan in view of the complaint by the plaintiff, Nkemjika Nkemjika that it was impossible to effect personal service on the President, who resides in the well-fortified Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

    Nkemjika, in the suit is urging the court to determine whether, having regard to the provisions of sections 135(1)(b) and 135(2)(b) of the Constitution, President Jonathan was qualified  to contest this year’s presidential election.

    Named as defendants with Jonathan, include the AGF, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Assembly.

    It is the plaintiff’s main contention that President Jonathan’s second term in office will end on May 29 this year, because Section 135(2)(b) of the Constitution that determines the tenure of office of the country’s President, did not make any provision for a Vice-President to complete the unexpired tenure of office or unexpired term of office  of a deceased President.

    He contended that President Jonathan would have been eligible to contest this year’s presidential election if he had won an election overseen by the Senate President in 2010 in accordance with the provision of Section 146(2) of the Constitution.

    Justice Mohammed has adjourned hearing in the case to February 26.

  • Firm marks decade of service to economy

    Courteville Business Solutions Plc is marking a decade of service to the economy. The sub-regional business solutions development company, quoted on the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) has over the past decade, recorded consistent year on year growth in clientele base and key financial indices.

    Speaking at the ninth Annual General Meting of Courteville Business Solutions, its Chairman, Murtala Salami said the firm has since inception, the firm has provided exceptional e-service delivery models that are industry standard. He also lauded the firm’s corporate governance and service delivery benchmarks.

    “In less than five years of operations, Courteville Business Solutions Plc became a publicly quoted company. In November 2008, with its Operation and Management systems certified to be compliant with International Standards under the ISO 9001:2008 approved standards, CBS became the only company so certified from the business solutions development sector of the economy,” he said.

    He said the 10 years anniversary will be a one-week celebration starting tomorrow and ends January 17th.

    Activities lined up for the event include;  a two kilometer  “Walk For Life” from the Company’s head office to University of Lagos (UNILAG) gate and back to the head office tomorrow.

    “On Sunday, a thanksgiving service will hold at RCCG, Commercial Avenue, opposite the Head Office. A Seminar themed “Empowerment Strategies to Developing, Social Entrepreneurship” will also take place in Lagos on Monday.

    “On Tuesday, the commissioning of the Head Office by the Company’s Chairman will take place while on Wednesday, staff of Courteville will pay a visit to Modupe Cole Memorial Child Care at St. Finbarrs Road, Akoka, The Old People Home at Yaba and a Public Primary School in Yaba, where food items and educational materials would be distributed respectively,” he said.

    He said that Thursday has been tagged “Cultural day (African dressing) and Raffle Draws “ where staff would dress in their cultural attire and customers would have a chance to pick draws and win exciting gifts, this would take place at the company Head Office.

  • The NDDC long service award

    The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, stood out among the 256 serving and retired staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC), who were honoured with long service awards on November 17, 2014.

    Although the honour was bestowed on him and others on the basis of their past contributions to the progress and development of NDDC, the event brought to the fore pertinent issues and lessons on attitude to work and conduct in service.

    The Chairman of NNDC, Sir Bassey Dan- Abia, in his speech, said the essence of the awards was “to build staff confidence for career progression, motivate staff and promote excellence through healthy competition for greater service delivery.”

    He said another lesson from the award was on the dignity that any diligent employee could earn on his duty post. In his response, Mr. Nta advised members of staff to aspire to qualify for long service award by staying clean and upright. The award given to Nta did not come as a fluke judging from the silent but far reaching innovations he is adopting to fight corruption in Nigeria.

    As the Chairman of ICPC, Nta has launched new initiatives, anchored on his desire to make the difference in the anti-corruption war in Nigeria, tapping from a bag of ideas which he brought to the table to make the anti-graft war more effective and result-oriented

    Before his appointment as the ICPC Chairman, Nigerians had witnessed an era in which corruption was usually tackled with a high measure of grandstanding by anti-graft officials who seemed to prefer a sensational process of trial of offenders and with banner newspaper headlines.

    Nigerians no doubt got tickled by the sensational approach to the anti-graft war, as they cheered endlessly each time the anti-graft commission made arrests of suspects and interrogated them. Often times, the approach proved less effective because not many of the cases so celebrated in the media fulfilled all expectations of having those arrested prosecuted.

    Ekpo Nta thus came into ICPC with the mind set of changing the game while launching a preventive approach to the war against corruption. He succeeded in putting in place, a bottom-up measure which sought to fight corruption right from the source, targeting schools, institutions, civil society groups and civil servants as soldiers to be mobilised in the war.

    So far, ICPC under Ekpo Nta has succeeded in creating a System Review Mechanism for checking corruption within government establishments, banking institutions, schools and other areas. ICPC had also assisted in reviewing and strengthening the process of admission within Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. In the process, it was able to clamp down on fake tertiary institutions which had long been exploiting unsuspecting Nigerian students with fake admissions.

    The anti-graft commission has also extended its reach towards the secondary and elementary schools in Nigeria. The essence was to build into the school curricula some precepts of anti-corruption for the students to imbibe, with expectations that they could be technically conscripted into the war against corruption, all the same.

    Nigeria can also recall that the ICPC has been blazing the trail in reducing cases of frequent visa scams at the instance of visa racketeers in the country. The commission has entered into a synergy with foreign embassies and security operatives in Nigeria to lower the menace of visa racketeering in the country. This led to many of the visa touts being arrested and handed to the law enforcement agencies for necessary action.

    Not long ago, the ICPC entered into a partnership with not less than 70 civil society organisations, all duly registered and trained to work under the umbrella of the National Anti-Corruption Coalition (NACC), an initiative of the ICPC.

    The award on Mr. Nta is, therefore, well deserved for a man who has done much for his country.

    – Innocent Clifford

    Port Harcourt.

     

  • Reward for service, excellence

    Reward for service, excellence

    The 19th edition of the Pearl Awards Nigeria was held on Sunday at the Grand Ball Room of the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. OLATUNDE ODEBIYI reports.

    The Pearl Awards is  a gathering of business tycoons. This year, they gathered for the 19th edition at the Grand Ball Room of Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Guests were in suit and bow tie, evening gown and native attire.

    They beamed with smiles, exchanging pleasantries and posing for photographs on the red carpet before moving into the hall for the event.

    A bevy of pretty, tall and fair women decked in coffee brown net dress, lined in gold, welcomed guests.

    The hall was decorated in gold and coffee brown with lights. Chairs were covered in the same colours. There were lots to eat and drink

    The event started with the national anthem. The duo of Bimbo Akintola and Gbenga Adeyinka were the comperes.

    The President, Pearl Awards Nigeria, Mr Tayo Orekoya welcomed guests.

    He said the gathering was to celebrate the titanic quest for corporate excellence in the Nigerian capital market and also to bring to the front line the remarkable achievements of quoted companies in the year under consideration who have served and contributed to the growth of the capital market in the country.

    He said one of the main objectives of the awards is to engender healthy competitiveness among quoted companies with the view of enhancing their performance, making them globally competitive and enhancing shareholders wealth.

    He said awards like this will go a long way to stimulate excellence performance by quoted companies. He congratulated the awardees for the outstanding performances for which they are being rewarded and urged them to sustain and improve on the past performance.

    He said the night will also feature the public presentation of the 2015 edition of the Nigerian Stock Market Annual (NSMA), an annual publication of Pearl awards Nigeria, which incorporates the awards practice, criteria, facts and figures of how the winning companies emerged.

    A popular singer, Yinka Davies led the Pearl Awards theme song.

    In his opening remarks, the chairman on the occasion, Chairman CFAO Nigeria Plc, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas said he was proud to be at the gathering. He said that the ideal for which the award was set up is laudable and credible, adding that is why it has lasted long.

    He said Nigeria must be great and urged the gathering to tell the truth always.

    “We have people in this country who have the abilities and what it takes to make the country great but we are not doing the right things; those of us that know these dishonest people are not saying anything about it, we are afraid to say the truth. We know people who are not good enough for where they are, but we cannot say the truth,” he said.

    He lamented that only 10 percent of the population of the country can be described as rich people.

    “When you are in a position of honour please tell the truth, God is watching; say it as you see it, then you will correct most of the things in this country and bring an end to corruption,” he said.

    Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission, (SEC) Arunma Oteh, in a goodwill message, said one of the things we do not do in Nigeria is to celebrate excellence, adding: “it is important that we do so.” She said it is good to have an initiative like Pearl Awards to promote hard work and the best of Nigeria based on facts and verifiable data.

    She said Pearl Awards had done a great service to the nation in the last 19 years, adding that its achievement will continue to encourage our leaders, journalists and companies to influence the society.

    “I’m glad that this award takes different kinds of indicators so that we can celebrate market excellence. The launch of the Annual is also an important initiative because knowledge is very crucial as it will allow many more Nigerians to be familiar with the capital market,” she said.

    Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Ghana, Mr Adu Anane Antwi, represented by his deputy, Mr Alexandra Williams, congratulated all the award winners and the nominees. He applauded Pearl Awards for its good job.

    Representative of Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, Commissioner for Science and Technology, Dr Adebiyi Mabadeje said he was impressed by the programme. He said that the state is always ready to associate with anything that celebrates merit.

    Another known artiste, a singer, Lara George entertained guests with songs.

    The Nigerian Stock Market Annual (NSMA) was presented by Chief Okoya-Thomas, who is the Asoju Oba of Lagos.

    It was reviewed by the Chief Executive Officer, RTC Advisory, Mr Opeyemi Agbaje. Mr Orekoya is the publisher/Editor-in-chief. The annual was edited by Festus Odume and forword by the Chief Judge of the Investments and Securities Tribunal (IST), Dr Ngozi Chianakwalam.

    Patrick Doyle anchored the launching of the annual

    Market excellence awards and secretarial leadership awards were given to 22 companies who emerged winners from the list of 66 nominees. Among the winners are Arbico Plc; Roads Nigeria Plc; Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc; Dangote cement Plc; UAC of Nigeria Plc; PC Cussons Nigeria Plc; University press Plc and Nigerian Breweries Plc.

    The high point of the event which most companies look forward to was ‘who will be the overall winner of the year 2014 Pearl awards Nigeria’.

    Guests were expectant and applauded as the emcee announced Forte Oil Plc as the overall winner.

    Representing the company, Head brand and corporate communications, Odion Aleobua walked tall to the stage to receive the award.

    Dr Okoya-Thomas presented the award to him, assisted by Mr Orekoya and other guests.

    They all took photographs after the presentation.

    Aleobua described the award as a charge to do more.

    “We just don’t want to be winners at the podium like this we want to be winners at our retail station, we want to have integrity and we want to have shareholders. We promise that our company will be one where shareholders value creation will be top of our objectives,” he said.

    Special honorary awards were also given to some individuals. A fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Bankers, Dr Joseph Sanusi was given Pearl Special Recognition award for Capital Market Development; Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dangote Cement Plc, Devakumar Edwin was given 2014 Pearl Most Outstanding CEO of the Year award; Assistant business editor, Capital market, Vanguard, Peter Egwuatu  got 2014 Pearl Capital Market Journalist of the Year award and ThisDay newspaper got the 2014 media award for capital market reporting.

    Just Dance Entertainment thrilled the guests with dance to sound track.

     

  • Service that touches customers

    Service that touches customers

    Every customer wishes to be touched in a special way. The need to meet customers’expectations prompted Access Bank Plc in partnership with Verve International to inaugurate a customised debit card tagged ‘Persona’. The product allows the bank’s customers to upload their favourite image or select any from its gallery on their debit cards, for enhance satisfaction, writes COLLINS NWEZE.

    To every customer, there is a special moment or event that would be cherished forever. The need to keep such moments close to customers’ heart prompted Access Bank Plc to unveil ‘Persona’, a customised debit card that allows cardholders to upload their favourite images on their debit cards.

    Access Bank CEO speaks

    Speaking at the launch of the product in Lagos, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank Plc, Herbert Wigwe, described the product as part of the brand new future as well as a great future facing the lender.

    Continuing, the bank chief said: “So, that is what we are doing. That is also what Persona is all about. It was inspired by our customers. We have several people that have been with us for so long, since 2002. Even as a wholesale commercial bank, you (customers) stood with us, even when we did not have many retail products to offer. Now, we boast of the most widely used cards, we boast of the best premium cards, we boast of cards that are extremely efficient, but what we are doing today is even much more different.

    “If you ask people about Access Bank about three to five years ago, they would have said it is a wholesale commercial bank because that was what we were.

    “But we have evolved over the past three years to become a large diversified bank with a strong retail presence. Now, what we are doing is not just looking at the top corporates, we are looking at what we can do with each of our stakeholders. What that means is that whether it is a small business, or an individual, we strive to meet everybody’s aspiration.”

    According to him, the bank would be unveiling several products over the next couple of weeks to strengthen its presence in the marketplace. This, he pointed out would enable the lender achieve its ambition of becoming the world’s most respected African bank.

    “So, for you to achieve that, it is not just by banking the large corporates which we are doing, but making sure that all the people in the retail space can truly feel the power of an institution that truly cares for them,” he said.

    Wigwe said the lender believes in creating its own destiny, pushing boundaries and thriving on excellence.

    Its Group Head, Channel Services, Mr. Segun Ogbonnewo said the product would be supported amongst other things by dedicated communication channels which would host dynamic information as well as publicise the bank’s loyalty and reward offerings to customers.

    He said the lender is focused on building its digital banking enterprise around innovative, efficient and relevant products and services driven by cutting edge technology platforms.

    “We propose to name the collective ecosystem of these non-generic products and enhanced services ‘Persona’. Because our primary inspiration in developing these products are our esteemed and increasingly technology savvy customer base. A customer base that wants to be empowered with self-service options that enable them take charge of the way they live, work and play,” he said.

    Ogbonnewo said the product entails building the value propositions for our products around the lifestyle characteristics of our target demographic segments. “We will seek to create loyalty driven by engagement, leveraging off the lifestyle attributes of the target market which drive or are closely associated with spending habits/patterns such as travel, shopping, music, sports,” he said.

    Verve CEO speaks

    Managing Director of Verve International, Charles Ifedi, felicitated with Access Bank Plc on the introduction of the new debit card.

    He said the bank took the right decision to adopt the innovative personalised debit card.

    Powered by Verve, a payment solution from Interswitch transnational, this new card called Persona, will function like every other debit card, but gives customers the opportunity to customise their debit cards with pictures of their choice.

    Ifedi said: “We are excited about this new model of cards and we commend Access bank for this step. We believe that by letting customers choose what picture should be on their debit cards, we have given them the freedom to express themselves on their debit cards and truly own these cards”.

    Access Bank has also been active in other sectors of the economy.

    Loan support

    Access Bank Plc has granted a $250 million credit facility to Sea Truck Group an international group of companies offering offshore installation, accommodation and support services to the oil and gas industry worldwide, in continuation of its financial intermediation role,

    In a statement, Wigwe, said the lender has recorded commendable expansion and growth in the last decade. The feat, he said, has positioned the bank within the top five banks in the country. “With regards to our regional spread, Access Bank is currently in seven countries inclusive of the United Kingdom and now has an office in China with plans to establish presence in Dubai next year,” he said.

    The bank chief described the Sea Truck Group as a company that is dear to the lender’s heart. “We will always support the company in its dealings, as we are confident that this mutually beneficial relationship will provide the backbone for future more robust dealings,” he said.

    President/Chief Executive Officer, Sea Trucks Group, Jacque Roomans praised the bank chief for arranging the signing ceremony and also commended the lender for the successful close on the transaction.

    “The manner with which Access Bank handled this transaction is highly commendable. This is a demonstration of how far the bank has come overtime. Sea Truck Group is proud to associate with Access bank and will not hesitate to build on this existing relationship. I admonish other financial institutions to emulate Access Bank,” he said.

    The Executive Director, Corporate and Investment Banking, Access Bank Plc, Elias Igbinakenzua in said the bank’s capacity to support big businesses is never in doubt. “In our bid to stimulate growth in the economy, we have established first class relationships with corporations and multi – nationals to position us to better support our customer’s businesses,” he said.

    Eyes fresh capital

    Access Bank’s Deputy Group Managing Director, Obinna Nwosu said the lender will be raising N68 billion capital through Rights Issues. He advised shareholders to take up their rights when the issue begins, as the bank has proven its ability to deliver superior returns on investment.

    The bank chief also listed some of the major attributes that makes Access Bank an institution of choice for investors.

    Nwosu said the bank has Capital Adequacy Ratio of 21 per cent, and has seven banking subsidiaries. The lender also employs 3,192 professional staff working in 366 branches. The lender has 1,042 ATMs, with 11,846 Point of Sale channels.

    He said with a vision of becoming one of the most respected banks in Africa, Access Bank has grown to be the top five banks in Nigeria, stating that between 2002 and 2007, the bank ranked among the top 10 lenders in the country. “That feat was triggered by its role as a dominant trade finance bank; top three foreign exchange and money market bank and model of compliance in the banking industry,” he said.

    Nwosu, who spoke in company of other Senior officials of the bank, including the Executive Director, Commercial Banking, Roosevelt Ogbonna at a media briefing in Lagos, said that between 2007 and 2012, the bank emerged among the top five in the financial services group, adding that this was achieved based on its reference point of Service Delivery; leading e-business support bank; employee of choice in Africa; reference point for corporate governance; attainment of high independent credit rating and as a top five trade finance lender.

    Africa as economic hub

    Wigwe has described Africa as a hub of international economic evolution where tremendous innovation in financial services, telecoms and natural resources have become important drivers of global growth.

    Speaking at the 2014 Institute of International Finance Africa Financial Summit held in Lagos, he said the forum is part of that paradigm shift in the economic trajectory of Africa.

    “A congregation of some of the best financial minds, financial sector leaders and economic policy makers from across Africa and beyond are gathered here today and I am proud to welcome you all to this important gathering,” he said.

    The bank chief who spoke on ‘Mobilising Resources for Investing in Africa’ said more wealth has been created in Africa in the last decade than at any other time in history.

    “Across the continent, we have seen a steady drumbeat of democratisation and political reform as governments are, with some exceptions, starting to provide the environment for businesses to thrive. They are creating greater feedback from and accountability to their citizens; ensuring that people’s needs are known and addressed,” he said.

    He said  from Rwanda to Nigeria, there has been a steady increase in security of title and the rule of law; investment in regulatory and physical infrastructure to ease the doing of business; and a low-debt, low-inflation macro environment.

    He said: “All of these factors together help to build the first pillar of the African investment story – no longer is this the continent of coups and generals; instead it is a place of democratic as well as economic growth.”

    Wigwe said despite these achievements, Africa still faces challenges that are not peculiar to the continent, but the changing global financial landscape has made it ever more important that Africa catch up as quickly as possible with the rest of the world or risk being left behind.

     

  • College’s graduates for Youth Service

    It was a moment of joy for the first set of Higher National Diploma (HND) students of the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology in Igboora (OYSCAI) as they returned to the campus to get their call-up letters for the National Youth Service.

    The graduates, who could not hide their joy, said they never believed it when the management informed them that they would be participating in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) this year.

    They hailed the Provost, Prof Gbemiga Adewale, and his management team for their efforts to reposition the college as a frontline school of agriculture and technology.

    The  Students’ Affairs  Officer (SAO), Mrs Modupe Ayanlola, said the management would leave no stone unturned to ensure the college students participate in the Youth Service.

    Earlier, the prospective Corps members were sensitised by the NYSC officials and Students’ Affairs Unit on the dos and don’ts of the programme.

    The students urged applicants to choose the college for their Higher National Diploma programmes. At the time of this report, the graduates have been mobilised for orientation course of Batch “C” Corps members.

    It would be recalled that the college was established in 2006, with a mandate to provide excellent agricultural training for youths, who would create jobs for themselves and others.

  • Stallion begins free Nissan service

    Stallion begins free Nissan service

    Stallion Nissan Motors Nigeria (NMN) has begun its third nationwide free service campaign with comprehensive 80-point check-up during a two-week car care clinic from Novemer 3 to ovember 15.

    The campaign slated for designated Nissan cars up to 2012 model year is aimed at extending the advantages of Nissan excellent services to customers and delivering world-class consumer experience to Nissan growing clientele as the yuletide approaches.

    Announcing this incentive in Lagos, Stallion NMN General Manager, After Sales Service, Mr Srinivasa Jayaram, said: “the free service campaign is a thorough examination of the engine, transmission, electrical, under-body, Air Condition, exterior et al with series of discounts on mechanical and body repairs.”

    Stallion NMN will extend the services to three other locations including Lagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt, where customers will be availed of Nissan car wash, special discounts on oils, select accessories, consumables and other value added services.

    Jayaram said: “We recognise the importance of excellence both in the quality of our vehicles and in after sales service.”

    Stallion NMN in May last year appointed Nissan national sales custodian and has moved swiftly to reposition the brand as Nigeria’s foremost automobile.