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Bank of the Year Award Shows Zenith Bank’s Resilience—Onyeagwu

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Zenith Bank GMD Ebenezer Onyeagwu GML

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr Ebenezer Onyeagwu, has expressed satisfaction with the emergence of the financial institution as the Bank of the Year in Nigeria in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards 2022.

The award, which was announced by The Banker Magazine, Financial Times Group, United Kingdom, during the awards ceremony held in London on December 1, 2022, was in recognition of Zenith Bank’s strong management, sound business model and strategy, support for small businesses and efforts to cut energy consumption.

According to the Banker, Nigeria’s Bank of the Year award was among the continent’s most hotly contested this year, befitting the country’s status as Africa’s largest economy.

This is coming on the heels of the award as Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital by The Banker won by Zenith Bank earlier in the year.

Mr Onyeagwu, in his remarks, said, “winning the Bank of the Year attests to our tenacity as an institution despite a very challenging operating environment exacerbated by persistent macroeconomic headwinds.”

“Indeed, being recognised by The Banker – the world’s longest-running international banking title is an acknowledgement of the resilience of the Zenith brand as the leading financial institution in Nigeria and the West African sub-region,” he added.

Mr Onyeagwu lauded the founder and chairman of Zenith Bank, Mr Jim Ovia, for his guidance and pioneering role in laying the foundation and building the structures for an enduring and successful institution, the board for their outstanding leadership, the staff for their commitment and dedication as well as the bank’s customers for their unflinching loyalty to the Zenith brand over the years.

Regarded as the industry standard for banking excellence, The Banker’s Bank of the Year award is contested by the world’s leading financial institutions, with winners chosen across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and Western Europe.

Zenith Bank’s track record of excellent performance has continued to earn it numerous awards, including being recognised as Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital, for the 13th consecutive year, in the 2022 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking published by The Banker Magazine; Best Bank in Nigeria, for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards; Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria 2021 and 2022 in the World Finance Banking Awards; Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards 2022; Best in Corporate Governance’ Financial Services’ Africa, for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, by the Ethical Boardroom; Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria and Best Innovation In Retail Banking, Nigeria in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards. Also, the Bank emerged as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands 2020 and 2021, Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards 2020 and Retail Bank of the year, for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.

Similarly, Zenith Bank was honoured as Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the ThisDay Awards 2020 and emerged winner in four categories at the Sustainability, Enterprise, and Responsibility (SERAS) Awards 2021, carting home the awards for “Best Company in Reporting and Transparency”, “Best Company in Infrastructure Development”, “Best Company in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment”, and the coveted “Most Responsible Organisation in Africa.

Modupe Gbadeyanka is a fast-rising journalist with Business Post Nigeria. Her passion for journalism is amazing. She is willing to learn more with a view to becoming one of the best pen-pushers in Nigeria. Her role models are the duo of CNN's Richard Quest and Christiane Amanpour.

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Shettima Promises to be “Chief Promoter” of Moniepoint

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Shettima chief promoter Moniepoint

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Nigeria’s Vice President, Mr Kashim Shettima, has expressed his delight over the unicorn status attained by Moniepoint Incorporated in October 2024 after it secured a $110 million funding package from Google.

Speaking when the company paid a courtesy visit to him at the Presidential Villa recently, the VP said he was happy with the growth trajectory of the financial technology (fintech) company, charging the team not to rest on its oars.

He promised to be the “chief promoter” of Moniepoint because the firm has become the pride of the country and must be supported by all.

Mr Shettima urged the company to continue expanding its global footprint, referencing his ongoing support for similar initiatives such as Amal Hassan’s Outsource to Nigeria project.

The Vice President described Moniepoint as a “kaleidoscope of colours” because of the diversity of its team, saying it reflects the beauty of Nigeria’s multicultural and multi-regional identity.

He was particularly pleased with the inclusion of individuals from various regions and backgrounds, including a notable representation of women in leadership and operational roles.

However, he charged the organisation and others to ensure stronger auditing measures to prevent misuse of the platform, especially by fraudsters and criminal elements, tasking them to remain vigilant and proactive in addressing these challenges.

Earlier, the chief executive of Moniepoint, Mr Tosin Eniolorunda, thanked the federal government for its dedication to digital innovation and financial inclusion.

He emphasized Moniepoint’s commitment to Nigeria’s financial ecosystem, stating that the fintech giant has grown into Africa’s latest unicorn this year, a testament to its resilience and innovation.

“At Moniepoint, we are big believers in driving collaborations across the entire eco-system and this is premised on collaboration being the cornerstone of progress.

“Our engagement here underscores our intentionality to enhance government business relationships in a way that powers the dreams of millions of many more Nigerians.

“Together, we can unlock opportunities, transform lives, and build a more inclusive economy for all,” Mr Eniolorunda, who led the team comprising the Managing Director of Moniepoint Microfinance Bank, Mr Babatunde Olofin; the Vice President for Corporate Affairs at Moniepoint, Didi Uwemakpan; the SVP for Investor Relations and M&A, Ross Strike; the Head of Partnerships, Efemena Ogie; the Regional Manager for North West, Abdulmumin Tijjani; and the Partner at Lightrock Global, Ravi Sharma, said.

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FX Trading: CBN Sets $100,000 Minimum Trade for Banks on EFEMS

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CBN Ways and Means

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Central Bank of Nigeria has set a minimum trade value of $100,000 for interbank foreign exchange trading via the Electronic Foreign Exchange Matching System (EFEMS), which is set to go live on December 2.

This was contained in a new directive dated November 25, 2024, and signed by CBN’s Director of the Financial Markets Department, Mrs Omolara Duke.

The circular also noted that the development is part of efforts to ensure transparency, efficiency, and compliance within Nigeria’s FX market.

The EFEMS is designed to streamline interbank FX trading, reduce counterparty risks, and ensure adherence to CBN regulations.

The statement also said CBN has designated Bloomberg’s BMatch as the official order-matching platform for interbank transactions, with trading hours set between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm West Africa Time on business days.

The apex bank also said the $100,000 minimum tradable amount comes with incremental clip sizes of $50,000.

The EFEMS is also limited to spot FX transactions involving the Nigerian Naira and the United States Dollar. This means transactions occur “on the spot” or close to the trade date.

The CBN, however, retained the discretion to introduce other currency pairs when deemed necessary.

The guidelines document read, “All trades consummated on EFEMS are binding unless cancelled by mutual agreement of both parties with written approval from the CBN.

“The minimum tradable amount is US$100,000.00, with incremental clip sizes of US$50,000.00.

“Participants must set credit and settlement limits for other counterparties in the system. Transactions exceeding these limits will not be executed.

“Participants must have adequate credit and settlement limits set for the CBN as its counterparty bank.

“Participants are required to comply with the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Code and other CBN regulations.”

The apex bank noted that participation in the EFEMS is limited to authorised dealer banks while other institutions wishing to join the platform must first obtain prior approval.

These entities are also required to execute agreements with the CBN-approved platform provider, maintain accurate profiles, and operate within prescribed credit and settlement limits.

Withdrawal from the platform must be preceded by a 30-day notice, along with the resolution of any outstanding obligations.

Also, trades conducted via the platform will remain anonymous until matched. Counterparty details will only be revealed once transactions are concluded and are in line with settlement protocols.

Transactions exceeding set limits or conducted outside EFEMS parameters must be reported promptly and logged onto the FX blotter within 10 minutes.

The CBN emphasised that it will closely monitor all transactions on EFEMS to ensure market integrity and transparency.

Participants are also required to submit daily reports detailing trade volumes, settlement statuses, and counterparties.

The CBN discloses that it also reserves the right to publish aggregated or disaggregated trade data for market analysis, subject to confidentiality agreements.

Any violations of the EFEMS guidelines or related regulations will attract strict penalties, including the suspension or revocation of access rights.

The CBN further stated that it will periodically review the platform’s operations to ensure efficiency and compliance with its directives.

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No Need to Worry, Your Funds Safe With us—Access Bank Assures Customers

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Access Bank 5-Year Eurobond

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Access Bank Plc has assured customers that their funds are safe with the company, stressing that there’s nothing to worry about.

The lender gave this assurance in reaction to a video making the rounds on social media that about N500 million belonging to a customer was missing.

The financial institution described this allegation as “baseless,” denying any involvement in “any unethical behaviour.”

“Our attention has been drawn to a video on social media wherein allegations of missing funds and unethical behaviour have been made against Access Bank PLC.

“First and foremost, we wish to emphasise that the safety and security of our customers’ funds are core priorities which we take seriously. Second, Access Bank Plc does not engage in or condone any unethical behaviour.

“In the instant case, the allegations of missing funds in the Bank are most untrue and baseless.

“There is no N500 million or any other fund or amount missing from the subject customer’s account or any other customer’s account with us.

“We and other independent stakeholders in the banking industry have thoroughly investigated these allegations and independently arrived at the same conclusions.

“Access Bank PLC operates with the highest ethical standards, and we protect our customers’ interests whilst also respecting privacy laws.

“Consequently, whilst we have engaged and will continue to engage with our customers, we must advise the public not to rely on or believe sensational and unverified claims that are designed to titillate and mislead the public,” a statement from the firm stated.

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