Access Bank Bags Award as ‘Best Supportive Financial Institution in Nigeria’

Access Bank has been awarded the most supportive financial institution by the organizers of 3rd Freedomonline.com Annual Lecture, which took place at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers, ikeja, Lagos.

This year’s edition of the annual lecture had the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the guest speaker, though he was represented by his able Deputy, Dr. Kadiri Hamzat.

The bank’s Head of Corporate Communication & Media, Mr. Abdul Imoyo received the award from the Medical Director, Longing Medical Center, Dr. Omoniyi Fagbemi on behalf of the bank.

The Theme of the award ceremony was “Nigeria: Foundation, Fundamentals, and Future.”

Highlight of the day was when the special guest of honour, Otunba Gbenga Daniel jokingly referred to Chief Olabode George as their presidential hopeful.

“We expect that what happened in Lagos State should happen in Ogun State because the two states generate more than what they get from the federation every month end,” he said.

He further commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his determination to close the Nigerian border, and that if the people of the country didn’t consume goods made in Nigeria, then the country is in for it.

Daniel said further that the biggest problem the country had is unemployment, and that what China had done was to turn disadvantages to advantages, adding that they had a big population.

“They decided to close their border and started production, now they are producers of consumables all over the world. To an extent, they have used their big population to their advantage and they turned what normally should be a liability to their advantage.

“We have similar cases in Nigeria. With our population moving from 36 million to 200 million in 20 years, anywhere, anytime you go out, you are shocked by the number of unemployed youths,

“I think the first problem we have to solve in the country is to create employment. Recently, because of the closure of our borders, the demands for many of our locally made products has trippled.

“My plea to the people, who are in power and those seeking power is that the only way out for us is to ensure that there is no capital flight is to properly legislate that all politicians, who have money should invest it in the country.

“It does not matter where the money comes from, I am sure that if the money stays in Nigeria, the unemployed would benefit from such gesture.

“I became an hotelier, and I have employed more than 1000 persons in three different places. If a little me could employ more than 1000 people, if we could compel thousands of politicians with huge amount of money to invest in the country, we will stop the problem of unemployment in the country,” he said.

Dignitaries at the event included Chief Olabode George, Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media, Garba Shehu, Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Gbenga Omotosho and others.