Access Bank Donates Hilux Van, Bulletproof Vests, Walkie-talkies & More to Nigerian Police + Bags Financial Institution Award

 

One of the leading financial institutions, Access Bank Plc, has once again restated its commitment to the safety of life and property in the country with the presentation of a police patrol vehicle with state of the art technology, and other operational items to the Lagos State Police command of the Nigerian Police.

The Commissioner of Police Lagos State, Kayode Aderanti and the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Kenneth Nwosu were presented with the operational items which includes a Hilux patrol van, bullet proof vests and walkie-talkies by Access Bank.

Speaking at the presentation, Cornelius Aderanti, Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command said, “We want to thank Access Bank for their zeal and commitment to the maintenance of peace and security in the state. The presentation of the brand new patrol vehicle and other operational items will go a long way in helping the police effectively fight crime“.

According to him, “We are going to access a lot of prosperity for the people of Lagos state. Access Bank has shown us what partnership in progress is and we really appreciate them. I want to also use this platform to ask other banks to follow suit and support the police“.

In his comments Pattison Boleigha (Head, Compliance and Internal Control, Access Bank Plc) said, “As a bank we believe in delivering world class service embedded in Speed, Service and Security but there is no way we can achieve security which is a very important part of the banks’ values without partnering with the Nigerian Police. How else can we ensure the security of our customers deposit than by supporting the Nigerian Police. We are indeed proud of our partnership with Nigeria Police Force. The presentation of the Patrol vehicle and other operational items also signifies the banks desire to always remain the front runner in the safety and security consciousness in line with our business continuity strategy” he said.

Similarly, Yinka Tiamiyu (Head, Internal Audit, Access Bank Plc), said, “We are grateful to be part of this service of giving back to the society from all we receive from the public. You are going to see more of this in years to come“.

Access Bank has continually spearheaded sustainable growth and partnership in the country. As you will recall the Bank built a waiting lounge at the Ikoyi passport office of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in 2013. It also empowered 17 physically challenged with the provision of fitted prosthetic limbs this year amongst other numerous projects.

The Bank was earlier this year adjudged the ‘Best Nigerian Company in Corporate Citizenship’ in the first ever competitive index on corporate social responsibility in Nigeria, by CSR-In-Action. The bank has also won the World Finance Magazine ‘Most Sustainable Bank In Nigeria 2014’ and the BusinessDay ‘Best Bank In CSR 2014’ award. Access Bank is rated B(Fitch) and A+ Agusto & Co.

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Access Bank has also emerged the winner of the 2014 ‘Financial Institution Award’, organised by the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN).

The award was given at the PETAN 2014 Annual Oil Industry Award Dinner, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Wednesday 10th December 2014.

Access Bank, as part of its continued growth strategy, has focused on mainstreaming sustainable business practices into its operations, striving to deliver sustainable economic growth that is profitable, environmentally responsible and socially relevant.

Speaking with newsmen after receiving the award on behalf of the bank’s management and staff, its Relationship Manager (Oil and Gas Desk), Charles Odum, said Access Bank had been financing the oil and gas sector for several years, in compliance with the Local Contents Act.

“So, it is in recognition of our efforts and support, that is why PETAN has called upon us and nominated us to receive the 2014 Financial Institution Award of the Year. That is why we are here. Access Bank has been very creative, over the years, in packaging loans for the oil and gas industry-upstream, midstream, downstream, indigenous companies, oil traders and international oil companies” he said.

Disclosing that the several millions of dollars were budgeted by the bank to finance the oil sector, Odum said the award had been a long while coming, adding, “It is in recognition of all the things we have done for the industry and for other industries as well.“

He said the award would spur Access Bank to continue to do more for the industry and added, “To whom much is given, much is expected. So obviously, this will give us the added drive to do more to ensure that our recognition is not just for the sake of it“. “We will continue to support the oil and gas companies; we will continue to be a key financial institution supporting the whole industry in Nigeria. So, it is definitely going, in long way, to spur us to do more for the industry, for the Nigerian economy in general“.

Earlier in his welcome address, PETAN chairman, Emeka Ene, commended Access Bank, saying it applied ‘out of the box’ strategies to support the Nigerian oil service companies with long term financing solutions.

He said the association had been championing the local content initiative in the oil and gas sector for more than 14 years, adding that the theme of the event, ‘Monetizing Our Gas Resources for Transforming Nigeria’s Economy’, was relevant to resolving the growth and capacity development challenge of the industry in the face of the global oil dynamics.

“We still have lots of ground to cover in the local content journey. Nigeria is no longer a low cost producer of oil and needs to leverage the cost advantage of local content in a consistent and deliberate strategy from policy makers to IOCs, to Nigerian independent…”. “The Nigerian oil service industry represents the anchor for our economy during these turbulent times. The skills and best practices honed in the oil industry already trickles to the rest of the economy. Gas is high on the agenda for power,” he said.

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