Access Bank Plc has been awarded the most socially responsible bank of the year at the annual banking awards organised by BusinessDay Media Limited in Lagos.
The BusinessDay Annual Banking Awards is meant to reward financial institutions and their officers who were outstanding in the preceding year. The bank was recently recognised as the best in corporate citizenship in the first-ever competitive index on corporate social responsibility in the country by CSR-in-Action, a registered social enterprise devoted to the advancement of social ethics, social responsibility and corporate governance in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, former managing director of the bank and chairman of the occasion, said “no sector contributes to economic development, capacity creation and wealth development as bankers do.” The Nigeria banking industry shows what happen when various capacities, such as regulators, stakeholders and others combine, he said.
Receiving the award for the bank, Obinna Nwosu, group deputy managing director, said: “In Corporate Social Responsibility, no financial institution comes close to Access Bank. That an important publication like BusinessDay recognises this indicates that the good work done by the bank is not going unnoticed.”
Though the bank does not seek publicity from its CSR action, it will continue to lead other financial institutions by ensuring its adherence to sustainable business practices, he said.
This year’s event, which marks the second edition, proved better and bigger, with more categories added, specifically to take cognisance of other financial institutions that also contribute to the growth of the economy and more sophisticated selection criteria. Last year, there were eight categories, representing half of this year’s awards.
Banking in Nigeria and elsewhere faces exceptional challenges and those who are in the sector are tasked to be at their best in everything they do, Frank Aigbogun, publisher, BusinessDay, said, noting that the recipients of the awards have pushed the boundaries of innovation in the sector.
“This is the reason BusinessDay is giving these awards. These awards reflect the strength of these institutions and individuals in this increasingly challenging operating environment,” he said.
