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Tag: Sterling Bank

  • Yemi Adeola’s remarkable valedictory birthday bash at Sterling Towers

    Yemi Adeola’s remarkable valedictory birthday bash at Sterling Towers

    A midst pomp and pageantry, one of Nigeria’s finest bankers, Mr. Yemi Adeola, outgoing MD/CEO of Sterling Bank, was celebrated by staff, family, friends and well-wishers on the occasion of his 59th birthday at the imposing Sterling Towers edifice on the Marina.

    The high octane surprise birthday celebration totally caught the cerebral and amiable Chief Executive Officer unawares. It was indeed a befitting valedictory birthday celebration for the gentleman highly regarded within the Sterling Bank family as a role model, friend, father figure and big boss.

    His office was decorated overnight to ensure that nothing goes wrong as Mr. Adeola is a consistent early bird, leading by example when it comes to punctuality. The bank also leveraged its first of the type in the banking industry internal radio station, Radio One, to celebrate the banking guru. The ‘Big Boss’ was pleasantly surprised on his way to his office by the heartfelt shout-outs from family, friends and all cadre of the bank’s employee. It was a show of love for Mr. Adeola all the way from the front desk on the ground floor to his 16th Floor office which became a Mecca of sorts for excited employees.

    Indeed, it was a remarkable day to remember in the life of the ex-lecturer-turned-banker who has steered the wheel of progress of  Sterling Bank for about 10 years as the wishes and accolades kept pouring in from far and wide.

    His darling wife who was actively involved in the surprise party plan, turned up in his office at about the same time with the Nigerian Footballing Legend, Jay jay Okocha, to wish the astute banker a very happy birthday. Mr. Adeola surely had a birthday to remember.

    The Oga at the top was genuinely surprised at the show of love. In his words, “You guys really surprised me, I was not even meant to be at work today as I was scheduled to travel out of Lagos, but my family insisted I do not”.

  • How to drive digital, financial inclusion, by Sterling Bank, others

    How to drive digital, financial inclusion, by Sterling Bank, others

    Contractsmartphones package offering is one way to drive digital and financial inclusion policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sterling Bank, 9mobile and Solo Phone have said.

    Speaking during the unveiling of a tripartite partnership of the firms in Lagos at the weekend, Sterling Bank Plc Executive Director Retail and Consumer Marketing, Grama Narasimhan, said the initiative, would allow more Nigerians to enjoy the benefits of the digital eco-system driven by mobile.

    He said the partnership reflects the bank’s commitment to delivering value to its customers, adding that the lender will continue to be in the business of making valuable partnerships with key stakeholders to deliver value to its customers as well as the banked and under banked Nigerians.

    “At Sterling Bank, we will always put the customers first, as they are the reason we continue to seek valuable partnerships that will translate into making the lives of our customers easier,” he said.

    He said the contract package allows the customer to enjoy a very attractive monthly mobile bundle plan (Voice +SMS+ Data plan + Social media+ recharge bonuses) in addition to a SOLO Aspire 4 smart mobile phone and the minimum period for the contract is 12 months.

    The bank’s Chief Marketing, Mr Henry Bassey, further noted that the bank will continue to be at the forefront of seeking valuable partnerships that will enrich the lives of customers. “At Sterling Bank, our customers will always come first, that is why we always design solutions that will translate into value for them.”

    Bassey further noted that this alliance with 9mobile and Solo Phone is a testament of the bank’s commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian is availed the opportunity to own a smart phone with all its attendant benefits, which include insurance cover, 90 minutes of call time, SMS, Social plans and free 1.5GB data.

    Solo founder/Chief Executive Officer, Tayo Ogundipe, said the absence of small loans to buy phones, lack credit history and lack of bank accounts, permanent jobs and fear of fraud, were some of the factors affecting mobile phone penetration. He said the partnership would address  these challenges.

    “Driving digital and financial inclusion remains critical to economic growth, especially in emerging market. Accelerating smartphone adoption is at the core of realising the growth potential. Our partnership with Sterling and 9mobile is designed to change the game by bringing to Nigeria, the same mechanism that has propelled smartphone adoption in developed markets. This will open the door to inclusion.

    “At a time of difficult economic conditions across Africa, making Smartphones affordable especially for the mass market requires fresh thinking and innovative ideas. That’s SOLO’s DNA and we are proud to be part of the team that’s delivering this unique solution in Nigeria,” Ogundipe said.

    9mobile Enterprise Segment Director, Mr. Plato Syrimis, expressed the delight of his organisation to be part of a partnership that would increase smartphone penetration and its benefits to Nigerians who could not afford to pay the lump sum that is required to acquire these devices.

    “This partnership has made it possible and affordable for anyone to go into a Sterling Bank branch, pay a deposit of N10,000 and walk out with the latest smartphone device. Furthermore, the customer will enjoy monthly voice minutes, data and freebies pre-bundled into the 9mobile SIM attached to these devices,” he said.

    He said the increase in smartphone penetration is a stimulus for development as more people are able to access the vast knowledge stream available on the internet and mobile application developers could provide easy access to services, such as education, health, logistics and transport via the smartphone. This is the beginning of a great journey for our customers as we continue to deliver the benefits of a digital environment either directly or through our partners.

  • Sterling Bank to host non-interest banking forum

    Sterling Bank will be organising a one-day public lecture on non-interest banking with theme: “Reducing Poverty and unemployment through Non-Interest Banking”. The event, which holds on January 15th, in Kano is in line with the lender’s  continuous bid to sensitize the public about non-interest banking, The event which is slated for the.

    It is also part of the bank’s commitment to deepen the awareness and public enlightenment of alternative finance or non-interest banking in Nigeria.

    Speaking on the programme, the Chief Host of the Lecture and Executive Director, Finance and Strategy, Sterling Bank, Abubakar Suleiman, said the lender will continue to intensify efforts to sell the Sterling Alternative Finance offerings to customers and prospects while remaining a reference institution in the area of Non-Interest banking not only in Africa but globally.

    The Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is expected to headline the public lecture as the Royal Father of the day while the Executive Governor of Kano State,  Abdulahi Ganduje is the Special Guest of Honor.

  • NSE adds Sterling Bank, Skye Bank, others to most influential stocks’ groups

    THE Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) is expected to move  Sterling Bank Plc, Diamond Bank and three other stocks to the top index of 30 most capitalised stocks  in the forthcoming review of the stock market’s indices.

    The NSE is expected to review the six group indices that track performance of some groups of stocks at the stock market by the end of this month. These included the NSE 30 Index, which tracks the 30 most capitalised stocks; the NSE 50 Index, which tracks the top 50 stocks; the NSE Banking Index, which tracks banking subsector; the NSE Consumer Goods Index, which serves as benchmark index for the consumer goods stocks; the NSE Oil and Gas Index, which tracks the oil and gas sector; the NSE Industrial Index, which underscores the building materials and other industrial goods stocks; the NSE Insurance Index, that tracks insurance stocks , NSE Pension Index-which tracks stocks specially screened in line with pension investment and the NSE Lotus Islamic Index, which tracks select stocks adjudged to meet the stringent Islamic standards of ethical stocks.

    At the completion of the first stage of its year-end review, the NSE indicated that it will change five stocks within the NSE 30 Index. The five of Dangote Flour Mills Plc, Diamond Bank Plc, NASCON Allied Industries Plc, Cadbury Nigeria Plc and Sterling Bank Plc will replace 7Up Bottling Company, Oando, UACN, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and Forte Oil Plc.

    Under the NSE Pension Index, the review will see the replacement of four companies-7Up Bottling Co Plc, Oando Plc, Conoil Plc and united Capital Plc with Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, International Breweries Plc, Continental Reinsurance Plc and Cement Co of Northern Nigeria Plc.

    Lafarge Africa and Nigerian Aviation Handling Company will be added to the ethical NSE Lotus Islamic Index, while 7Up Bottling Company Plc and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc will be removed from the ethical stocks’ list.

    In the influential NSE Banking Index, Skye Bank Plc and Unity Bank Plc will replace Wema Bank Plc and Sterling Bank Plc.

    The NSE Consumer Goods Index will include Northern Nigeria Flour Mills Plc, DN Tyre & Rubber Plc and Nigeria Enamelware Plc while 7Up Bottling Company Plc, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc and Champion Breweries Plc will be removed.

    Under the populous NSE Insurance Index, four companies-Equity Assurance Plc, Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc, Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc and Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc will be replaced with new entrants including Regency Alliance Insurance Plc, STACO Insurance Plc, Universal Insurance Plc and Standard Alliance Insurance Plc.

    The rebalanced NSE Industrial Index will have Grief Nigeria Plc and Austin Laz & Company Plc in exchange for Portland Paints & Products Nigeria Plc and DN Meyer Plc while the NSE Oil and Gas Index will have Japaul Oil & Maritime Services Plc and Eterna Plc as replacement for Oando Plc and MRS Oil Nigeria Plc.

  • Minister lauds Sterling Bank’s intervention in transport sector

    Minister of Transport  Rotimi Amaechi has joined other stakeholders in the transport sector to commend the critical role being played by Sterling Bank Plc in the repositioning of the sector.

    Amaechi, who  spoke at the end of the 2017 National Conference organised by the Ministry of Transport, praised Sterling Bank Plc for its intervention in Nigeria’s transport sector, saying such intervention from the private sector would help to accelerate the desired transformation in the sector.

    He noted that Sterling Bank had established itself as the reference bank in transport finance as a result of its investment in the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and LAGBUS initiatives of the Lagos State government.

    “I want to commend Sterling Bank for its support to the transport sector so far. I am aware that Sterling Bank financed both the LAGBUS buses and over 400 BRT buses plying various routes on Lagos roads. It is our hope that the bank would expand this experience beyond Lagos so that people living in other parts of Nigeria will also benefit from their benevolence,” he said.

    The General Manager of the bank, Emmanuel Emefienim, praised the ministry for hosting the conference, adding that the forum would provide a platform for exchange of ideas needed for the transformation of the sector.

     

  • Sterling Bank honours Adesanya for meritorious service

    Sterling Bank Plc has celebrated its former Executive Director, Corporate and Institutional Banking, Lanre Adesanya, who recently retired from the bank after a 30 years meritorious service.

    The retirement dinner was graced by directors, senior executives, shareholders, business associates and the retiring executive director’s family members. The celebratory dinner tagged: Let’s Celebrate our Legend held in Lagos.

    Managing Director/CEO Sterling Bank Plc, Yemi Adeola, said it was a night to celebrate an icon who had worked non-stop for 30 years with the bank at both international and local levels and had traversed the length and breadth of the country in the course of his career. He enjoined families, shareholders and customers of the bank to celebrate the retiring executive director.

    Also, speaking on the occasion, Chairman of the bank, Asue Ighodalo, said the bank would miss Adesanya very much because of his immense wealth of experience, contacts and demeanor, which he used to bring to bear on issues during board meetings.

    He remarked that when the board met about two weeks ago, nobody could sit on Adesanya’s chair because of the enormous respect other directors had for him, adding that Lanre is truly a great guy who lightens up moods at meeting. “The bank will miss you terribly but we know you are just a phone call away. We are truly grateful to you and we will miss you in the board room. Lanre, I thank you for being Lanre, I thank you,” Ighodalo said in an emotion laden address.

    Ighodalo also praised his wife, Mrs. Olatundun Adesanya, for supporting her husband to excel in his official duties to the bank, adding, “all our thanks go to you.”

    In a citation on Adesanya, Executive Director, Corporate and Investment Banking, Kayode Lawal, said: “With faith, discipline and selfless devotion to duty, there is nothing worthwhile that you cannot achieve.” Lawal dwelt on the biography, education and contributions of Adesanya to Sterling Bank, remarking that he is a one of a kind gentleman who is soft-spoken, kind-hearted, and a pillar of hope to many people; his contributions to Sterling were immeasurable.

     

     

     

     

  • Sterling Bank, others flag off e-ticketing in BRT buses

    Sterling Bank Plc in collaboration with Primero, LAMATA and E-Purse Systems Limited has begun implementation of e-ticketing system for Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) in Lagos.

    This, according to a statement from the lender, followed the recent launch of the scheme by the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.

    The e-ticketing system is an integral part of the Intelligent Transport System (ITS), which will help commuters to plan their journey and drastically reduce time spent waiting for buses at bus stops. Is also helps in recording important data in transport operations, which will assist in planning and regulating transport services in the state.

    Speaking during a bus ride over the weekend by senior executives of Sterling Bank and other stakeholders to demonstrate the workability of the new payment system, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank, Yemi Adeola described it as an innovation that is first of its kind in Africa, adding that it is a classic example of what Public, Private Partnership (PPP) should be.

    He said the initiative would not only transform the transportation sector in Nigeria alone but in the whole of the African continent, remarking that the role of government is to create an enabling environment for people to go about their businesses and also ensures free movement of people among others.

    Adeola said the automation of the fare payment system would also move the transportation sector from the historical approach to a modern method of payment and also made it easy for people to commute not only in Lagos but in the whole country.

    The Chief Executive Officer said the new payment system would also transform the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.

    Also speaking, Managing Director of Primero Transport Company, Fola Tinubu explained how the contactless card would work, adding that it would run alongside with the existing manual ticketing system before the end of the first quarter of 2018, when the manual payment system will be phased out.

    Similarly, Head of Digital Banking, Olugbenga Adams described the Automated Fare Collection system as a unique and modern way for payments of fares on Urban Mass Transit. The system is similar to what exists in developed countries.

     

    He explained that the system is multi-modal and will ultimately work on other transport modes beyond the buses.

     

     

  • Sterling Bank donates items to Cross River

    Sterling Bank Plc has donated 700 reflective jackets for gardeners, and street cleaners to the Cross River State government.

    The bank’s General Manager, Southsouth, Southeast and Mid-West, and Institutional Banking, Emmanuel Emefienim, while presenting the reflective jackets to Governor Ben Ayade, said the lender cares so much about the safety and security of those who are involved in keeping the environment clean.

    Emefienim said: “As a bank doing business in Cross River State, we feel obliged to support you in our own little way, at least to make the environment safe and secure, especially in terms of cleanliness. We have done this for several states: Lagos, Rivers, Abia, Kwara and Edo.

    “What we have realised is that some of these people that help us clean the environment are vulnerable to accidents, so we felt it would be nice if we clothe them with reflective jackets that would help them carry out their assignments without fear of being knocked down by fast moving vehicles. When they put this on, you can see them from very far distance, even at night it reflects. So today I have the honour and mandate of my executive management to present 700 pieces”.

    In his remarks, Ayade expressed gratitude to the management of the bank, saying the gesture had sent a serious message that the bank is interested in the well-being of the state.

    The governor said for the first time: “We have a bank that is coming to bring in value, bring in service, and not talking about business. I think this is a very fantastic way to go, and I think my heart goes with Sterling Bank. And to know that I am not doing so much with  Sterling Bank at this point, you have really found a very smart and intelligent way that you have twigged my hand, and my conscience to say we must do business with Sterling Bank.”

     

  • Sterling Bank donates items to Cross River

    Sterling Bank Plc has donated 700 reflective jackets for gardeners, and street cleaners to the Cross River State government.

    The bank’s General Manager, Southsouth, Southeast and Mid-West, and Institutional Banking, Emmanuel Emefienim, while presenting the reflective jackets to Governor Ben Ayade, said the lender cares so much about the safety and security of those who are involved in keeping the environment clean.

    Emefienim said: “As a bank doing business in Cross River State, we feel obliged to support you in our own little way, at least to make the environment safe and secure, especially in terms of cleanliness. We have done this for several states: Lagos, Rivers, Abia, Kwara and Edo”.

    “What we have realised is that some of these people that help us clean the environment are vulnerable to accidents, so we felt it would be nice if we clothe them with reflective jackets that would help them carry out their assignments without fear of being knocked down by fast moving vehicles. When they put this on, you can see them from very far distance, even at night it reflects. So today I have the honour and mandate of my executive management to present 700 pieces”.

    In his remarks, Ayade expressed gratitude to the management of the bank, saying the gesture had sent a serious message that the bank is interested in the well-being of the state.

    The governor said for the first time: “We have a bank that is coming to bring in value, bring in service, and not talking about business. I think this is a very fantastic way to go, and I think my heart goes with Sterling Bank. And to know that I am not doing so much with  Sterling Bank at this point, you have really found a very smart and intelligent way that you have twigged my hand, and my conscience to say we must do business with Sterling Bank.”

     

  • Sterling Bank empowers artists with 4m

    Sterling Bank empowers artists with 4m

    Four young Nigerian artists have won one million naira each at the maiden edition of ReCyclArt competition organised by Sterling Bank Plc, in Lagos on Thursday.

    The competition is to empower young artists and emerging talents to use recycled and discarded waste materials for the creation of large-scale sculptures in public spaces.

    The finalists are Ifedilichukwu Chibuike (Abuja zone) with his entry- Devolution of Power; Samson Ogundeji (Ogun zone)- Egungun; Udeh Charles (Rivers zone)-Soiled Soil and Dudu Emmanuel (Lagos zone)- Undressed Identity.

    The winners were presented with cheques of N1 million each, but Dudu Emmanuel who was not present at the venue was reached on the phone by the organisers and he expressed great excitement when he was told that he was one of the finalists.

    Chief Marketing Officer of Sterling Bank, Mr. Henry Bassey, said ReCyclArt was initiated by the bank to inspire a new generation of Nigerian artists and the art genre.

    “It is about using the power of the arts to awaken the citizenry to the need for a change of attitude in how they relate to the environment and rethink how items that should be recycled can be disposed in a creative manner,” Bassey said.