Access Bank Renews Pledge To Create Better Future For Children In Nigeria

Posted by Eric Ojo Business News, Latest Headlines Wednesday, July 20th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Access Bank Plc, a Nigerian multinational commercial bank has reaffirmed its commitment to ensure that the Nigerian child is given a better future.

Group Managing Director of Access Corporation, Herbert Wigwe gave the assurance while speaking shortly after the Bank raised $1.7 million at its Charity Polo Tournament held at The Guards Polo Club, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom (UK).

The Polo tournament, which is executed in partnership with Fifth Chukker and UNICEF, in Kaduna, South Africa and the UK has been an extension of the Bank’s efforts to support anti-poverty and anti-HIV/AIDS campaigns in Nigeria. This is the first edition of the UK-based tournament to be held since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The money raised at the UK charity event, according to the Bank, will be utilized in supporting education in Nigeria. It will be directed towards the building and equipping of over 100 classroom blocks in the less developed areas of Nigeria.

Wigwe said the donations will serve as building blocks towards achieving a brighter future for the country. He also challenged the various state governments to take sustainable actions towards ensuring all boys and girls complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education.

“We thank all attendees and donors for buying into our vision and assure that Access Bank will not relent in its efforts to see that every Nigerian child regardless of tribe, gender and religion is given a fair chance for a better tomorrow”, he said.

Similarly, the Managing Director of Access Bank, Roosevelt Ogbonna also noted that the polo event remained the greatest investment towards ensuring a great future for the vulnerable Nigerian child.

Established in 1989, Access Bank which is one of the five biggest banks in the Nigeria, provides magnificent financial services such as loans, deposits, assets, and numerous sub-depositories across the country.

As of April 1, 2019, the Bank agreed to a merger with Diamond Bank, another famous bank in Nigeria. For this reason, it made Access Bank, the largest bank in the whole of Africa. But before that, the Bank made the ownership of several banks in and outside the country.

In 2005, the Bank amalgamated Marina Bank with Capital Bank as part of a merger. Then in 2007, it opened an additional branch in Banjul, The Gambia.

By 2008, Access Bank owned 88 percent of the shares of Omnifinance Bank and also acquired 90 percent of the shares of Banque Privee du Congo. Not only that, the financial institution holds 75 percent of the shares of Bancor SA in Rwanda.

About 2001, Access Bank opened a subsidiary in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Lusaka, Zambia, London, and the UK respectively. In 2008, Burundi’s Finbank joined the Access bank network and it left around 2014.

As of January 2012, the Bank acquired Intercontinental Bank. As a result, it expanded the bank to become one of the largest in Nigeria.

The acquisition of the banks did not stop there, in 2020, Access Bank then acquired the Kenya Transition Bank and its 100 percent of the shares in 28 branches around Kenya.