17th Annual Banking and Finance Conference To X-ray Way Forward For

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The President and Chairman of Council, of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) Professor Pius Deji Olanrewaju, PhD, FCIB, has emphasized the need for everyone to join hands with the government in finding solution to the many challenges bedevilling the nation.

Cablenews24 reports that the CIBN president stated this at a world Press conference held in Lagos on Thursday, to herald the 17th Annual Banking and Finance Conference, slated to take place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja on September 10th and 11th, 2024.

Olanrewaju holds strongly that Nigerians need to assist the government in fashioning a way out of the current economic challenges to bearth a more sane environment to work with. He said, “It’s affecting everybody that’s why we have the issue of uneployment, the issue of inflation and insecurity, we are now saying that we want to see the way forward,, how can we navigate this problem that is comforting us now and be able to achieve a sustainable economy is the focus of this conference.

Speaking on the theme of this year’s conference, “Accelerated Economic Growth & Development: The State of Play and the Way Forward,”  the CIBN’S President expressed gratitude to the media for their continuous support and partnership with the institute over the years.

While highlighting the institute’s ongoing efforts to lead an innovative financial system, uphold ethics and professionalism, promote inclusivity within the industry, Prof. Olarenwaju called for increased human capital development to prevent vacuum from mass migration of experts out of the country.

He said,  ” it’s impossible to prevent migration, hence, the measure at the 2023 event towards training more experts, a Human Capital Development Fund has been set up,  and the banks have already contributed over N300 million towards building a training academy to produce more professional bankers.

“So we do not bother ourselves to say that people should not travel out of the country, what we can do is produce more talents, export talents.

“I was glad that during the week we were talking about money coming from diaspora.

“Let people go out from wherever they are and bring in the money into the system and as they are going there are replacements.”

The CIBN  president said that the leap in diaspora remittances was a gain for the nation’s economy.

He said the conference would x-ray the way forward for sustainable economy for Nigeria,  out of the  present economic turbulence,  which he described as a global phenomenal.

He said, “the agenda of my administration, what I call the legacy team, is encapsulated in the acronym LEGACY. That is where the LEGACY agendas and the LEGACY team emanated from.

L – focuses on the need for us to lead an innovative financial system. We believe that as the pain center and the progenitor of the program, there is need for us to demonstrate that we are also digitally ready for the next level.

“E – is treasured ethics and professionalism and integrity. We have been doing this. We want to sustain it and not only sustain it, we want to make sure that we raise the bar and also through advocacy, through training, through certification, to ensure that our members are people of integrity and people who have the competence and the skillset that is needed for them to excel in their careers.

“Our G is issue related to gender, generational, and the geographical diversity. We have taken into consideration that in Nigeria, we have as a country, it has a lot of diversity.

Diversity in terms of gender, diversity in terms of generational, and diversity in terms of geographical basis. And because of this, we have decided that as an institute, we should try as much as possible to make sure that this is reflected in what we are doing. We want to promote inclusivity. It is not just a men’s world, but it is also a women’s world.

“Our A is accelerating the institute’s vision and values. We have values that are given to us by our forefathers.

Values of accountability, values of transparency, values of responsibility. We want to engender this and accelerate it and make it known widely by our members, so that they can have a very good image and continue to promote the brand equity of our great institute.

“Our C is competence in the banking industry and finance, with the need to aid economic development.

If you look at the team of this our forth coming Conference, our focus is on economic development.

“And lastly, that’s our hope for tomorrow, Y – We are representing youth and entrepreneurial engagement. We believe that any institution, anybody that wants to see tomorrow, must always believe in the statement that if we cannot build the vision for the youth, then we can prepare the youth for the vision.

The conference is expected to attract over 10,000 participants, including policymakers, regulators, operators, and members of the academic community. It will provide a platform for stakeholders to share experiences, exchange ideas, and address contemporary issues affecting the financial sector.

Esteemed guests, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other African leaders, are anticipated to attend, with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, delivering a goodwill message.

Olarenwaju, while taking questions from journalists, said that a third of 40 recommendations made at the 2023 conference, which included skills export, were already being implemented and yielding positive results , assuring that  the forthcoming conference wouldn’t be an exception.

He disclosed that the 17th annual conference, to be graced  by  President Bola Tinubu,  provides a platform for all stakeholders in the banking and finance industry to proffer solutions to issues affecting the sector and the economy.

Chairman of the Consultative Planning Committee and the Group Managing Director/CEO of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Oliver Alawuba, in his remarks, underscored the critical role of the media in shaping public discourse and enhancing the image of the banking industry in Nigeria.

He called for robust media coverage of the conference, stressing the importance of transparency and informed public engagement in fostering trust within the sector.

“As we approach the conference, which you know is scheduled for September 10th to 11th, 2024, with the theme, accelerated economic growth and development, the state of the play and the way forward, we once again seek your robust coverage.

“This event, the largest gathering of banking and finance professionals in Africa, will convene over 10,000 participants, including professionals, policymakers, regulators, and other key stakeholders.”

As the CIBN prepares for what promises to be a landmark event, the institute continues to champion initiatives aimed at building a competent, ethical, and inclusive financial system. The conference will not only assess the current economic landscape but will also focus on strategies for future growth, with a particular emphasis on the involvement of the next generation in driving the sector forward.

He said, “The discussion will focus on Nigeria and indeed Africa’s economic landscape, examining key growth drivers and come up with strategies for sustainable growth.

“This session will be intellectually engaging, addressing critical challenges within Nigeria’s business and financial sectors, while integrating the voices of the next generation.”