The United Bank for Africa, (UBA) academy has received the accreditation of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). This is as the bank said it is set to boost capacity and development in the banking sector.
Speaking during the presentation of certificate of accreditation at the CIBN office in Lagos, Patricia Aderibigbe, group head, human resources, UBA said the accreditation was only the beginning and an opportunity to keep up with the job.
According to her, “The biggest room is the room for improvement. We know that this is just the beginning and we are already thinking ahead. The skills of the future is unknown, we have to keep looking ahead. We were the first bank to bring artificial intelligence. So, we have to keep innovating.
“The UBA Academy is an academy that is about developing our people. So, the focus is digital, it is not the normal way. It is business as unusual. Seventy percent of our programmes are in the digital platforms and this will give people the flexibility to learn as they go.
“We also have the classroom traditional training. We have education, exposure and experience. So, every part of your experience and exposure is quantified into learning, so people can understand how they are growing.”
Aderibigbe assured that the academy is very robust, comprising of the banking school, the specialised school and United Bank for Africa finishing school, which has the soft skills.
She added that “The bank also has the leadership programmes which comprise of the basic leadership, the intermediate leadership and executive leadership. Staff also travel offshore to universities like Harvard and Stanford. So, it is very robust, deliberate and complete. We also mentor other people from other bank. We are in 23 countries and the only African bank in United States. So, we assist and collaborate.”
Also speaking at the event, Uche Olowo, president and chairman of CIBN said the industry requires knowledge and skilled manpower. “We are trying to standardise the training programme for all bankers so that we can speak the same language. Training is what will give our people an edge.”
“We want to make sure that the average banker in Nigeria can stand anywhere in the world. The world is a global village and we all need to have current and best practices. UBA has over 15 thousand staff and that is a huge one for us,” Olowo said.
