High hopes as industry players, regulators, others converge on Abuja for CIBN’s 15th Annual Banking & Finance Conference

Aside President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, the Minister of Finance and other top government officials whose attendance have been confirmed, the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja will from Tuesday, September 13 to Wednesday, September 14 play host to the who’s who in Nigeria’s financial services sector for the 15th Annual Banking and Finance Conference organized by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

The Conference with the theme “Repositioning the Financial Services Industry for an Evolving Glocal Context” will draw session chairs, A-list subject matter speakers, expert panelists and participants from the banking, health, telecommunications, media, entertainment/creative, financial technology (fintech) and other key sectors and sub sectors of the Nigerian economy.

The Conference which will also go virtual via Zoom Teleconferencing, according to a statement by the Media & Publicity Sub-Cimmittee Chair of the Conference Planning Consultative Committee, Rasheed Bolarinwa is being organised through a Consultative Committee of the CIBN, Chaired by the Managing Director/CEO, Sterling Bank Plc., Mr Abubakar Suleiman.

With a carefully designed agenda that includes business and breakout sessions with confirmed A-list faculty, participants at the Conference are sure going to be in for fruitful and engaging sessions.

The business session will feature the following topical issues; Banking in Africa: The Role of AfCFTA and PAPSS; Nigeria’s economy in the last five years: lessons learnt and choices to make in the next five years; Workforce globalisation: Opportunities and threat; Banking & Fintech: The nexus and opportunities; Climate change: The role of financial services sector.

The breakout session will address the following; Sustainable financing: Opportunities, challenges and solutions for the energy sector; Food security: Unlocking Nigeria’s potentials to feed Africa; Creating economy: Scaling for jobs; Harnessing the untapped opportunities in Nigeria’s healthcare system.

The President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Ken Opara had at at a recently held pre- conference media parley in Lagos said the Conference will provide
a veritable platform for stakeholders to share ideas on how to address changing trends in the industry and how new development are evolving in the sector. Dr. Okpara disclosed that the Conference will attract dignitaries from around the world hence the Institute’s decision to adopt a hybrid (physical & virtual) mode.

“The banking industry has continued to evolve; technological innovation is the in thing in the industry.

“Nigeria’s financial system is the only industry today that you can see and witness the kind of innovation that is evolving right before us.

“It is one of the few industry in the world to have developed and delivered a robust real time payment services that has been a model other countries are studying.

“But we think that the industry is dynamic, as changes continue to evolve speedily across board globally.

“You can see what is happening in the supply chain, you can also see what is happening in the Russian-Ukraine space the world has witnessed with devastating consequences across all spheres including our sector.”

“So, the idea is basically to have this conference that will provide a platform to share ideas on how best to address changing trends in the industry and how envisage and be well prepared to face evoving issues”.

“Also, how do we build capacity, how do we energise our people, how do we ensure that the new generation of people continue to be relevant in the industry,” Opara said.

The keynote speaker for the Conference is Mr. Farouk Gumel, Chairman, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. Then Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, would be the Chief Host while the CIBN President would be the host.