Banks urged to deepen financial inclusion, MSME financing

The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and the Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks have called on banks to deepen financial inclusion, promote women’s empowerment and support the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises through targeted policies and strategic frameworks.

The call was made during a courtesy visit by ACAMB to the newly inaugurated 24th President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Dr Dele Alabi, to congratulate him on his investiture and discuss closer collaboration between the two organisations.

The visit followed Alabi’s investiture on May 16, 2026, during which he unveiled his “IMPACT” vision, themed “Consolidating Our Local Impact, Enhancing Our Global Relevance,” according to a statement on Monday.

According to the institute, the vision is anchored on six pillars: inclusion across geographic, gender and generational lines; membership growth and quality; professionalism and ethics; accountability; competencies and skills development; and technology, automation and innovation.

Speaking during the meeting, Alabi said financial inclusion and women’s empowerment would remain priorities under his leadership because women often serve as the primary financial managers and caregivers in families.

He said improved access to savings, micro-credit and insurance would strengthen household resilience and improve living conditions. Alabi added that the institute was willing to collaborate with the Central Bank of Nigeria and ACAMB on knowledge-sharing initiatives and public awareness programmes.

“Educating the public through public awareness programmes, with ACAMB as the rallying point, is central to what we do,” he said.

He added, “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% gender gap in access to formal financial services.”

ACAMB President, Jide Sipe, said expanding access to financial services would support economic growth, reduce inequality and encourage wider participation in the economy.

“This visit is to achieve two goals at once. We came to properly congratulate the new President and Chairman of Council, and to form an alliance for collaboration with CIBN on our plans,” he said.

“We thank you for accepting our courtesy visit, and are proud to associate with a leadership that places professionalism and impact at the centre of its agenda,” he added.

Sipe also announced plans to celebrate ACAMB’s 30th anniversary, marking three decades of operations in Nigeria’s 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.

He invited the CIBN President to chair the association’s Gala Night scheduled for September 30, 2026. “In view of this, we respectfully invite you to serve as the Chairman of our Gala Night on 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.

Members of the ACAMB Executive Council present during the visit included the Second Vice President, Morolake Phillip-Ladipo; General Secretary, Olugbenga Owootomo; Publicity Secretary, Abiodun Coker; and Executive Secretary, Fadekemi Ajakaiye.

Sipe also reaffirmed the association’s support for the CIBN’s 2026 Banking Conference through media, communications, digital marketing and publicity. “As usual, we also want to assure you of our support for CIBN activities as they plan this year’s Banking Conference through media and communications, digital marketing, and publicity,” he said.

He added that ACAMB planned to engage the Chairman of the Committee of Banks and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on policies affecting the financial sector. “We want to help manage narratives and ensure that banks speak with one voice and align on the government’s priorities for finance and development across the country,” Sipe said.

He also called for greater collaboration across the banking industry. “Collaboration and partnership in marketing and advertising should be the rallying point for our industry. We must think in terms of economies of scale as an industry, rather than individualism,” he said.

Closing the visit, Sipe reaffirmed ACAMB’s commitment to continued collaboration with the institute. “We appreciate the President and the Council for the warm reception and valuable time. We reiterate our commitment to maintaining a productive and mutually beneficial relationship, and we express optimism for continued collaboration and shared success,” he said.