Keep Developing New Skills—Yusuf Urges 672 New Bankers

By Sodeinde Temidayo David

The Managing Partner of Verraki Business Solution for Africa, Mr Niyi Yusuf, has advised the newly inducted 672 bankers by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) to position themselves for the world of tomorrow.

Over the weekend, a total of 672 new bankers were admitted into the institute from various categories of membership at the virtual 2021 CIBN Graduates Induction and Prize Awards Day.

The induction, an annual ceremony of the institute, is the forum where student members who have completed their examinations and fulfilled all other conditions set by the governing council are formally admitted into full professional membership of the group.

While addressing the new bankers, Mr Yusuf reminded them that the global economy evolved from agriculture to the connection economy, identifying technology as the main driver of growth and change.

Mr Yusuf explained that financial technology has improved financial services into a new future, stating that instead of using a branch as the sole means of service delivery, the use of the Internet, web, ATM and mobile apps has taken over as a way of service delivery.

He also added that as an alternative to the use of cash or cheque, cards and electronic money were now accepted, attributing this development to technology.

“I suggest that for us as bankers, old skills will not be sufficient for today’s world, and you will need to keep developing new skills. It would help if you kept reinventing yourself so that you also can be relevant in the world of tomorrow,” the Verraki chief said.

In his comments, Managing Director, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Mr Hassan Bello, reassured CIBN of his organisations’ support, commending the institute for its various initiatives in banking services, associateship examinations and certification programmes.

In his speech, the Chairman of Council of CIBN, Mr Bayo Olugbemi, urged banks and employees to leverage more than ever on technology to deliver products and services to their numerous customers at their convenience.

He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the speed of digital transformation and technological advancements, as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, Machine Learning (ML), coding and programming, blockchain, cloud computing and others are being used to develop unique and bespoke products suited to customers changing needs.

“The world is yours to take, the world is waiting for you, be the best that you can be, be the best version of yourself, believe in yourself, reach for your peak and aim for the top,” he said.