By Aduragbemi Omiyale
To realign its workforce for better efficiency in line with best practices, Ecobank Nigeria has promoted 682 staff effective May 1, 2021,
The elevated employees represent 26 per cent of its core staff and the action was purely to reward their efforts and commitment to the growth of the business.
This development is coming despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and all the attendant impact on business performance globally.
The Managing Director of Ecobank Nigeria, Mr Patrick Akinwuntan, in a statement issued by the banking institution, disclosed that workers remain the greatest asset of the company.
“It is commendable that the board and management of Ecobank Nigeria exceptionally approved the promotion exercise at this time,” he was quoted as saying.
He explained that, “The promoted staff were selected through Ecobank Group’s standardized performance management system; an in-house developed performance management system which uses both financial and non-financial metrics to appraise staff.”
“As we progress on the journey to becoming the bank of choice in Nigeria, the empowerment and growth of our people remain a critical cornerstone for achieving the desired market leadership, the Ecobank brand promise, and a respectable return to our shareholders.
“We are re-building our bank and our people continue to be the most valuable contributors to our present and future success.
“While these individuals have been recognized at this time, it by no means belittles the contributions of other colleagues who have also done well. The promotion is a continuous exercise and all hard-working employees will eventually be promoted,” Mr Akinwuntan added.
“Let us continue to grow the bank and delight our customers to enable us to achieve our desired target of becoming the preferred bank in Nigeria and contribute positively to the growth of the Ecobank Group and Africa,” the MD urged the members of staff.
“As a bank, we remain committed to prioritizing the development and career growth of our people and ensuring commensurate recognition continues to apply to all other deserving staff,” he assured.
Meanwhile, Ecobank has announced the recruitment of the first batch of 60 new entry-level trainees into its workforce as part of its growth agenda.
The new employees will be absorbed into the firm’s training programme at the state-of-the-art Ecobank Academy in Lagos.
This being part of the bank’s deliberate policy to train and equip its workforce in line with its transformation drive to make the bank the most preferred financial institution in the country.
The rigorous training of new staff is targeted at preparing the graduates to better serve its customers in a convenient and accessible manner.
Ecobank Nigeria is a subsidiary of the Ecobank Group, the leading pan-African banking group with operations in 33 African countries and an international presence in four locations (London, Paris, Beijing and Dubai).
Modupe Gbadeyanka