28 September 2021, Accra – FBNBank Ghana has been adjudged “Best Bank of the Year” at the 2nd Ghana Credit Excellence Awards organised by the Chartered Institute of Credit Management Ghana and held in Accra under the theme “Leveraging AfCFTA to boost Ghana’s Socio-Economic Development – The Role of the Financial Services Sector.”

According to the citation for the award, “the Awards Planning Committee of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management Ghana recommended FBNBank Ghana’s nomination for the award of Best Bank of the Year. This award is in recognition of the immense contributions of FBNBank Ghana in upholding best standards in credit management, contribution to the socio-economic upkeep of the country; rendering employment to citizens in the banking and credit landscape; and offering impeccable organizational and portfolio services to your teeming clientele and to Ghana as a whole. On the strength of this achievement, the Institute is of the conviction that this spurs you on to soar higher in delivering tailored products and services to your customers and the entire credit market. Congratulations!”

Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management Ghana, Mr. Johannes Agyapong congratulated all the recipients and mentioned that the awards was meant to honour and reward organizations for displaying excellence in credit risk management in their operations. While reiterating that the Institute has been at the forefront of training individuals and organizations in the areas of credit management, risk and banking operations to enhance their performance, he entreated players in the financial services sector to pay attention to credit risk models and systems in this era.

Delivering his speech as the Special Guest Speaker, the Bank of Ghana’s Director of Banking Supervision, Mr. Osei Gyasi said, “the Chartered Institute of Credit Management, Ghana needs commendation for the good job over the years to promote the standard of professional competence in sound credit risk management in Ghana. It is instructive to note that credit risk constitutes 70 per cent of the Basel Pillar 1 risks in banking operations and the Bank of Ghana is therefore supportive of the Institute’s critical role in building capacity of the financial services sector in credit risk management.”

Speaking at the event after receiving the award, Semiu Lamidi, Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of FBNBank said, “this award is the second to be presented to FBNBank in our milestone year and it is adequate proof of our dedication and contribution to the financial system in Ghana. This recognition is certainly a boost to the momentum we have gathered over the years and it shall propel us to higher heights in our efforts to offer the gold standard of excellence and value. We are very confident that we will continue to deliver on this commitment because we draw our strength from the First Bank of Nigeria’s trade hub that has grown economies for 127 years in Africa, Europe and China and for 25 years in Ghana.”

Commenting on the award, Victor Yaw Asante, FBNBank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We remain committed to delivering support to our customers and clients working with them to achieve the level of business performance they aim to attain. We take our role as a Bank seriously, recognizing the difference that we can make, not just in the activities of business entities but also, in the economy and within other communities. We do these because our brand promise enjoins us to put our customers first even as we deliver the gold standard of value and excellence. This is what differentiates us from the others and it is certainly what has won us recognition and acclaim from the Chartered Institute of Credit Management Ghana. This is a testament to all that we stand for and I dedicate it to our people who have continuously shown how passionate they are about what they do.”

FBNBank has in its 25 years of operating in Ghana remained focused on putting its customers and communities first. This, it has sought to do through the rich value and excellence of what the Bank contributes to the relationship with its stakeholders as a whole, particularly the customers. FBNBank Ghana is a member of the First Bank of Nigeria Limited Group which is renowned for its great customer service and general stakeholder engagement garnered over its 127 years of operation. FBNBank Ghana has 20 branches and two agencies across the country with over 400 staff. FBNBank offers universal banking services to individuals and businesses in Ghana.

From left to right: Semiu Lamidi, ED/CFO and Sharon Bansa, Head, Retail Marketing receiving the award and citation from Mr. Osei Gyasi, Head, Banking Supervision Department of the Bank of Ghana

13 August 2021 – FBNBank has been recognised as the “Outstanding SME Bank of the Year” at this year’s Ghana Business Standard Awards held at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra last Friday.

The Ghana Business Standard Awards which were instituted three years ago by KN Unique Communications aims to promote and celebrate the outstanding achievements of organizations, acknowledge industry leaders turning strategy into action as well as businesses chalking undisputable success across the Ghanaian business region. The theme for the awards was, “Celebrating Companies and Individuals Committed to Remarkable Business Standards.”

The award which was presented by Patrick Nana Asiedu, Awarding Board Member, was received on behalf of FBNBank by Semiu Lamidi, Executive Director & Chief Financial Officer and Mohammed Ozamah, Executive Director & Chief Risk Officer supported by William Amon Neequaye, Head of Commercial Banking and Enoch Vanderpuye, Country Team Lead, Marketing & Corporate Communications.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Semiu Lamidi of FBNBank, said, “We are delighted by the recognition. This is yet another testament of our contribution so far in the financial sector, particularly the SME space. This will serve as a great boost to our efforts even as we strengthen our position in our 25th anniversary year to be able to deliver greater value. The current opportunities offered by AfCFTA, trade with the European Union, the US and other bilateral partners require that we position our SMEs to effectively maximise the benefits available. We have over the years supported our SMEs and we remain passionately committed in working with them to achieve success and also to inject growth into Ghana’s economy. Our responsibility here is underpinned by our Brand Promise which enjoins us to offer the “ultimate gold standard for value and excellence” to our clients and customers.”

The award comes in a milestone year for FBNBank which has witnessed a renewed commitment in its very first month by the Bank to remain SME-focused. To deliver on this commitment, FBNBank draws from being a part of a trade hub that has grown economies for 127 years in Africa, Europe and China and for 25 years in Ghana.

Commenting on the award, Victor Yaw Asante, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, FBNBank said, “Since 1996, when we commenced operations in Ghana, our focus has not shifted from SMEs. At the beginning of 2021, which also happens to be our 25th anniversary year, we reaffirmed our commitment to this sector when we announced our anniversary celebrations. Over these years, FBNBank has provided an exciting range of support including a sector-specific-array of financial products and services, capacity-building and thought-leadership, to the SME segment of Ghana’s economy and our support did not wane during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. For us it is an unwavering commitment to SMEs and it is exciting to see that it is not just paying off by way of the contribution to Ghana’s economy but also that we are being recognised for it. This should serve as a motivator for our team who relentlessly and passionately drive the SME agenda. I personally dedicate this award to them. They have shown that they have, as always, lived the FBNBank brand by putting the SME clients first.”

FBNBank Ghana has since 1996, in line with the agenda of its 127-year-old parent company, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, supported SMEs in several sectors including manufacturing, export and import. This, it has sought to do through the rich value and excellence of what the Bank contributes to the relationship with its clients. FBNBank Ghana has 20 branches and two agencies across the country with almost 500 staff. FBNBank offers universal banking services to individuals and businesses in Ghana.

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FBNBank has announced the roll-out of its 25^th anniversary advertising campaign which highlights its brand’s differentiators and shows appreciation to stakeholders for embracing the Bank’s brand while it encourages potential customers to enjoy its offerings by making it their preferred financial institution.

Established in 1996 in Ghana, FBNBank has drawn from the 127 years of a long-established tradition of its parent bank, First Bank of Nigeria, which is renowned for its exemplary stakeholder engagement nurtured over several generations of operations across an international network with footprints in Sub Saharan Africa, Europe and Asia.

Through this campaign, FBNBank intends to deepen its engagement with potential customers and clients by offering them the opportunity to benefit from its numerous propositions aimed at delivering the gold standard of value and excellence.

Commenting on the campaign, FBNBank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Victor Yaw Asante, said, “our commitment to our customers is our main driving force and it is communicated through our brand promise which enjoins us to put our customers first in all that we do. Over the years we have delivered on this in several ways ensuring that we keep the momentum without let up. This and the benefits which we offer our customers by way of our gold standard of value and excellence are two of the main differentiators of our brand. These are what we continue to offer to our stakeholders especially our customers. It is also what we are inviting potential customers and clients to enjoy for which reason we are encouraging them to switch to FBNBank. We are committed to nurturing relationships built on the service pillars of convenience, passion and partnership with our people as the dedicated drivers to ensure that the relationships attain the desired levels of acceptance, security and confidence for our customers and clients. Our doors remain open and we are ready to woo and serve anyone who comes across the threshold.”

Over its 25 years of operations in Ghana, FBNBank has built a solid reputation from supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) ensuring that they remain viable contributors to Ghana’s economy. The Bank’s commitment to SMEs has been unwavering with particular reference to the support FBNBank gave SMEs during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. This and several efforts have not gone unacknowledged. Quite recently the Bank was recognised by the Ghana Business Standard Awards as the “Outstanding SME Bank of the Year” for their contribution to the sector.

In very recent times, FBNBank has invested in strengthening its offering to customers by securing both the ISO 27001:2013 and PCI DSS certifications. Through the PCI DSS certification, the Bank has improved its information security management thereby assuring customers of safer and secure transaction processes with its payment cards. The ISO certification, on the other hand, confirms that FBNBank Ghana has attained the required level of security, which attests to the Bank’s capability and capacity, to stay on top of data security risks. With these developments and several others like the establishment of a Contact Centre, FBNBank is offering greater convenience to its customers with the added benefit of security across several channels especially the technological platforms.

FBNBank Ghana is a member of the First Bank of Nigeria Limited Group which is renowned for its great customer service and general stakeholder engagement garnered over its 127 years of operation. FBNBank Ghana has 20 branches and two agencies across the country with over 400 staff. FBNBank offers universal banking services to individuals and businesses in Ghana.

The President, Nana Akufo-Addo has acknowledged the efforts of FBNBank Ghana towards the growth of the economy and has commended the Bank and its staff for their contribution over the past years.

In a keynote address read on his behalf by the Deputy Minister of Finance, John Kumah at the FBNBank@25 Gala Dinner to commemorate the Bank’s   25th anniversary in Ghana, the President said, “I have followed the growth of FBNBank over the years and this celebration should be an exciting moment for all those who have been involved in bringing the Bank to its present state. You have been an integral part of the growth of the Ghanaian economy and tonight I say “Ayekoo” to the management and staff of the bank for this remarkable feat. Having evolved from the status of “a small Nigerian bank” some 127 years ago into an African leader and a bank of choice, FirstBank has become an industry leader in innovation, financial inclusion and SME banking. The results of these innovative interventions are well demonstrated in the many awards of recognition received by the Bank over the last few years.”

The President urged the bank to develop easily accessible products for young entrepreneurs in order to help change the narrative of our teeming youth being jobless with the attendant risks of being the source of social problems. “As the Bank celebrates 25 years of existence, I urge you to focus your attention also on the design of financial products for Ghanaian youth engaged in entrepreneurship. We are told some 70 percent of our population is aged 35 years or younger. This so-called youth batch provides immense opportunities for rapid development. Fortunately for us, our flagship Free Senior High School policy and Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) programmes, have increased access to education. It is time to turn our demography and investment in education into a powerful economic driving force rather than a potential source of social and political unrest. We are creating conditions for entrepreneurs to thrive and for the private sector to grow and expand and create jobs, particularly for the youth.”

According to the President, this would be possible if banks in Ghana take another look at their high lending rates and join hands with government to support the efforts of young entrepreneurs. “We need to work together to find an enduring solution to this problem. Government is working hard through the introduction of new policies to enhance the credit delivery system’, he said.

The FBNBank@25 Gala Dinner provided an opportunity for the Bank to engage its stakeholders and to recognise the efforts and contribution of customer, clients and staff who have been with the Bank since its inception 25 years ago. Present were customers, clients and other stakeholders of the Bank including a delegation from FBNBank’s parent company, First Bank of Nigeria led by the Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank and Subsidiaries, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan. Also present were the Nigerian High Commissioner, Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas (rtd), the Second Deputy Governor of Bank of Ghana, Mrs. Elsie Addo Awadzi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Yoofi Grant, the Head of Banking Supervision Department of Bank of Ghana, Osei Gyasi, the President of the Ghana Association of Bankers and Managing Director of Standard Chartered Bank, Mrs. Mansa Nettey, Chief Executive of the Ghana Association of Bankers, Mr. John Awuah and several Managing Directors of some of Ghana’s banks and business entities.

FBNBank Ghana is a member of the First Bank of Nigeria Limited Group which is renowned for its great customer service and general stakeholder engagement garnered over its 127 years of operation. FBNBank Ghana has 20 branches and two agencies across the country with over 400 staff. FBNBank offers universal banking services to individuals and businesses in Ghana.

The Chief Executive Officer of First Bank of Nigeria Limited and Subsidiaries, the parent company of FBNBank Ghana, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, has stated that banking remains a game-changer for countries like Ghana and Nigeria, for the facilitation of socio-economic development and bringing people together.

Delivering his address at the FBNBank@25 Gala Dinner held in commemoration of the 25th anniversary celebrations of FBNBank Ghana, Dr. Adeduntan indicated that “banking has remained a game changer for West Africa since the 1890s when it was introduced into the sub-region.  Through the introduction of banking we have enjoyed benefits like the monetization of our economies, improved trade, socio-economic development and the bridging of the gap between people and cultures. We are told of the support thriving businesses like Elder Dempster, A. G. Leventis, U.A.C. and others enjoyed from the banks of those days and how the introduction of formal businesses generated momentum in the socio-economic development of the then colonial territories which have become our countries now.”

Dr. Adeduntan mentioned that the late 1890s also witnessed the birth of the First Bank of Nigeria, adding that “for over 127 years, the First Bank of Nigeria has remained committed to this role, ensuring responsible support through generations to the growth of economies and businesses.” He explained that in line with the same enterprising spirit with which First Bank committed itself over generations to support the growth of economies and businesses, the Bank migrated its business to Ghana to set up FBNBank Ghana. According to Dr. Adeduntan, “working together with our stakeholders like the government, regulators and people of Ghana, we aim to leverage our experience and capabilities to become a major player in this country (Ghana). I am happy to say, our team in Ghana is capable and passionate about seeing this through and we from the parent company are ready to support.”

He revealed that since taking over from the erstwhile International Commercial Bank in Ghana, FBNBank Ghana with the full support of First Bank of Nigeria has focused on delivering sustainable support to key sectors of Ghana’s economy with a dedicated focus on SMEs. He noted that FBNBank’s support continued throughout the peak period of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that critical supply lines remained open.

Thanking the key stakeholders, including His Excellency the President Akufo-Addo, the government and people of Ghana, the Bank of Ghana and other regulators and also customers and clients of FBNBank Ghana, the Chief Executive Officer of First Bank of Nigeria Limited and Subsidiaries pledged their commitment to contributing significantly to Ghana through staking a stronger claim to becoming a major player in the country’s financial sector. He added “I would like to reemphasize that our commitment to Ghana is absolute as shown by our actions during the recent recapitalisation of banks in Ghana. FBNBank is ready and capable of going the long haul with Ghana just as First Bank has done in Nigeria.”

FBNBank Ghana announced its 25th anniversary celebrations in January this year and has since rolled out a host of activities in commemoration of the significant milestone including the National Trade Forum, a Golf Tournament, Customer and Client Engagement events, a Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Week and several staff events. The FBNBank@ 25 Gala Dinner was a key activity for engaging relevant stakeholders like government, regulators, customer, clients and staff of the Bank and to celebrate the successes of the last 25 years with the aim of positioning the Bank for the next significant milestone year.

Present at the event was the Honourable Deputy Minister of Finance, John Kumah who represented His Excellency President Akufo-Addo, Mrs. Elsie Addo Awadzi, Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Ambassador Admiral Ibok, the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr. Yoofi Grant, Chief Executive of the Ghana Investment Promotion Council, Mrs. Mansa Nettey, the President of the Ghana Association of Banks and Managing Director of Standard Chartered Bank, Mr. John Awuah, Chief Executive of the Ghana Association of Banks and several Managing Directors of some of Ghana’s banks.

FBNBank has in its 25 years of operating in Ghana remained focused on putting its stakeholders first. This, it has sought to do through the rich value and excellence of what the Bank contributes to the relationship with its stakeholders as a whole, particularly the customers. FBNBank Ghana is a member of the First Bank of Nigeria Limited Group which is renowned for its great customer service and general stakeholder engagement garnered over its 127 years of operation. FBNBank Ghana has 20 branches and two agencies across the country with over 400 staff. FBNBank offers universal banking services to individuals and businesses in Ghana.