Stanbic IBTC Begins Youth Leadership Series to Deepen Financial Literacy

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

In order to deepen financial and entrepreneurial knowledge among Nigeria’s younger generations, Nigeria’s leading one-stop financial services provider, Stanbic IBTC, a member of Standard Bank Group, has come up with an initiative called the ‘Youth Leadership Series.’

A statement issued by the lender in Lagos recently quoted Chief Executive of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Mr Yinka Sanni, as saying that the organization has finalized plans to host the inaugural edition of its youth empowerment motivational series, the Youth Leadership Series dubbed, Against The Odds on Thursday, January 25, 2018.

It will feature three remarkable Nigerians as lead speakers, Kechi Okwuchi, a survivor of the ill-fated Sosoliso plane crash of December 2005, who later went on to bag a First Class Degree from the University of Thomas Houston, Texas and emerged a finalist at America’s Got Talent; Member Feese, survivor of the United Nations Building bomb blast in Abuja and Cobhams Asuquo, renowned music producer who was born blind.

“Through the travails, experiences and achievements of these exceptional young individuals, in spite of the hard-knock life and the odds, we hope to inspire, motivate and provoke the can-do spirit of our youth community and imbibe in them the strength of character, and tenacity to never give up but to constantly aspire to attain their full potential in life,” Mr Sanni said.

According to the Stanbic IBTC boss, the organization is constantly exploring innovative ways of expanding the scope of its coverage and focus on the youth segment, otherwise known as the millennials, given the importance of the demography to national development, entrepreneurship drive and economic growth and development of the nation.

“The Youth Leadership Series is tailored after the annual Stanbic IBTC Business Leadership Series, an annual event that facilitates the sharing of knowledge and information among local and international participants who are drawn from key sectors of the economy.

“The overarching objective is to stimulate deeper engagements and outcomes for the sectors as well as unlock investment opportunities in the country,” Mr Sanni said.

He said further that the Group decided it had become imperative for it to retool and re-strategize its efforts geared towards building the next generation of Nigerian leaders – the youths, in line with its commitment to growing that very important segment of the society.

“The popular saying that children are the leaders of tomorrow, as cliché as it may sound, for us at Stanbic IBTC, we believe that the youths are the leaders for today and because we understand just how easily one can get distracted or discouraged by the different challenges we face in our lives; our youths therefore need to be aptly and constantly guided, mentored, inspired and motivated, not just to attain their goals but in order for them to actualize their full potential,” Mr Sanni added.

Stanbic IBTC, Mr Sanni said, will in line with its brand promise of enabling people and businesses make real progress – “Moving Forward” demonstrate using real life examples, experiences, and moving stories of three distinctively different but very remarkable young Nigerians showcase why notwithstanding whatever curve life throws at us, giving up should never be an option.

Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, a full service financial services group with a clear focus on three main business pillars – Corporate and Investment Banking, Personal and Business Banking and Wealth Management.

Standard Bank Group, to which Stanbic IBTC Holdings belongs, is the largest African bank by assets and market capitalization. It is rooted in Africa with strategic representation in 20 countries on the African continent.

The bank has been in operation for over 154 years and is focused on building first-class, on-the-ground financial services institutions in chosen countries in Africa; and connecting  selected emerging markets to Africa by applying sector expertise, particularly in natural resources, power and infrastructure.