Access Bank wins 2020 International Investor Awards

15 Sep 2020, 12:00 am
Financial Nigeria

Summary

The awards recognised the businesses that consistently delivered first-rate service, innovation and performance.

Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc., Herbert Wigwe

Africa’s largest retail bank by customer base, Access Bank Plc, was last month named the Best Bank (Nigeria) and Sustainable Bank of the Year (Africa) in the International Investor Awards 2020. The bank was among the Summer 2020 winners of the annual awards organised by International Investor Magazine, an online publication that provides content for the global investment community.
    
According to the publication, the awards recognised the businesses that consistently delivered first-rate service, innovation and performance, despite the many disruptions the world has faced this year. Access Bank was conferred the awards by an independent jury, which included Thomson Reuters, for delivering excellence, innovation and a stellar performance in the investment and finance community in Nigeria and Africa.

Over the last twelve months, Access Bank has successfully consolidated its position as ‘Africa’s gateway to the world.’ Following its merger with Diamond Bank, Access Bank expanded its operations into the Cameroonian and Kenyan markets.

Another key achievement of the bank in the same period was the cross-listing of Access Bank N15 billion green bond on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE), after it was initially listed on the FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). The green bond is the first-ever corporate green bond in Africa to be certified by the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI).

“At Access Bank, we recognize the importance of offering best-in-class services while keeping an eye on the future with the implementation of sustainable business practices,” said Herbert Wigwe, Group Managing Director of Access Bank. “Over the last twelve months, the bank has inched closer to its vision of becoming the World’s Most Respected African Bank. This, we have done by expanding our African footprint, establishing subsidiaries in Cameroon and most recently, Kenya.”

For over a decade, Access Bank has been championing sustainability innovation and creating value for its stakeholders. According to the bank, it dedicates a minimum of one per cent of its profit-before-tax to sustainability. Access Bank has been a leader in corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the Nigerian banking sector. Among its CSR priority areas are healthcare, education, environment, entrepreneurship, arts, sport and social welfare.

In its statement announcing Access Bank's awards, International Investor magazine said, "As part of its continued growth strategy, Access Bank is focused on mainstreaming sustainable business practices into its operations. The bank strives to deliver sustainable economic growth that is profitable, environmentally responsible and socially relevant, helping customers to access more and achieve their dreams."

The bank's sustainability strategy has won multiple awards over the years. Last year, Access Bank won in five different categories of the Central Bank of Nigeria's Sustainability Awards. For the fourth time in a row, Access Bank won the Outstanding Business Sustainability Achievement award at the Karlsruhe Sustainable Finance Awards 2019. The bank was also declared the overall best company in CSR and Sustainability in Nigeria for 2019 by TruCSR, a Lagos-based organisation that is promoting CSR and sustainability in Africa. The ranking, published in Forbes Africa, was based on an impact assessment of 910 organisations operating in Nigeria over the last 13 years.

The bank’s Head of Sustainability, Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan, remarked on the  International Investors Awards 2020, saying, “Access Bank will continue to set the bar for responsible business practices and demonstrate its corporate brand commitment to addressing social, economic, and environmental issues.”


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