Dipo Olowookere
By Dipo Olowookere
One of the biggest banks in Nigeria, Access Bank Plc, was the cynosure of all eyes at the recently held 70th Anniversary of Africa Newspaper of Nigeria (ANN), publishers of the Nigerian Tribune in the capital city of Oyo State, Ibadan.
The financial institution, during the ceremony, was announced as the most improved bank in the country and was given an award for this feat by organisers of the programme, which was attended by several notable figures in Nigeria, including former Defence Minister, Mr Theophilus Danjuma.
Presenting the award to Access Bank at University of Ibadan International Conference Centre, venue of the event to celebrate the oldest newspaper still operating in Nigeria, the organisers said the lender has within a very short time transformed into a viable bank that competes favourably on the African continent.
Head, PR & Media Relations at Access Bank, Mr Abdul Imoyo, while receiving the award on behalf of the bank, said, “We are delighted to be honoured by the special award and we want to thank the board and management of Nigeria Tribune.
“The merger [with Diamond Bank] gave us this award and you will agree with me that the merger between Access Bank and the old Diamond Bank [in March 2019] was the fastest and the most efficient merger ever in the history of banking in Nigeria.
“The merger today has transformed Access Bank to be the leading bank. I must also say that the merger was informed by our corporate strategy of being Africa’s gateway to the world and that has simplified the process and everything we have achieved even after the merger, now we have more than 31 million customers and over 3,000 ATMs.”
Mr Imoyo further stated that the achievement so far recorded by the bank was as result of the support and the trust which the bank was getting from its customers and from media houses like the Nigerian Tribune, stressing that the financial institution will do more in the coming year and will continue to grow in order to satisfying the yearnings of Nigerians.
Meanwhile the bank recently expanded its digital lending portfolio, which gives Nigerians quick and 24/7 access to funds for emergencies without any collateral, hitting a record N1 billion daily in loan value.
Access Bank’s digital loans are accessible 24 hours, 7 days a week service and can be accessed via the short code *901*11#.
