CIBN, ACAMB Advocate Women Empowerment, Sustainable Growth for Banking Sector

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Banks operating in Nigeria have been charged to further deepen and prioritise financial inclusion, women’s empowerment and sustained growth.

This call was made by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and the Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB).

They want financial institutions to deploy strategic mandates and frameworks aimed at closing the financial gap and empowering small and medium enterprise (MSME) owners.

At a courtesy visit to congratulate Mr Dele Alabi on his investiture as the 24th head of CIBN on May 16, 2026, the president of ACAMB, Mr Jide Sipe, said his group was ready to work closely with CIBN to achieve these goals.

According to him, closing the imbalances in financial access helps economies grow faster, reduces inequality, and encourages greater civic participation by all.

Mr Sipe also used the occasion to announce ACAMB’s 30th anniversary, marking three decades of excellence, industry collaboration, professional development, and impactful contributions to the Nigerian banking and financial services sector.

“The association is pleased to announce the celebration of its 30th anniversary, marking three decades of excellence, industry collaboration, professional development, and impactful contributions to the Nigerian banking and financial services sector,” he said.

The ACAMB leader also formally invited the CIBN president to chair the anniversary Gala Night slated for Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

“We are inviting industry leaders to this anniversary and recognising many people who have stood by ACAMB over the years,” he stated, soliciting the institute’s support through attendance and the invitation of bank managing directors.

In his remarks, Mr Alabi thanked ACAMB for the visit, promising that the institute will prioritise financial inclusion and women’s empowerment.

He said access to savings, micro-credit, and insurance acts as a safety net during crisis and allows them to significantly improve living conditions.

At his investiture over two months ago, Mr Alabi unveiled his IMPACT Vision, themed Consolidating Our Local Impact, Enhancing Our Global Relevance.

The vision rests on six pillars: Inclusion across geographic, gender, and generational lines; Membership growth and quality; Professionalism and ethics; Accountability; Competencies and skills development; Technology, automation, and innovation. Other areas of shared interest include women empowerment, financial inclusion and literacy, as well as MSME clinics, all of which are top on his agenda.

Mr Alabi added that CIBN would be happy to drive joint knowledge sharing and exchange sessions with CBN and ACAMB across various platforms, saying, “Educating the public through public awareness programmes, with ACAMB as the rallying point, is central to what we do.”

“To this end, we intend to contribute our quota in supporting banks and financial institutions in driving gender-focused financial inclusion to close the 9 per cent gender gap in access to formal financial services,” he added.