Investment in the banking sector is expected to strengthen following the right of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) to host the 22nd World Conference of Banking Institutes (WCBI) next two years.
Hosting of the WCBI in Nigeria, which is the first of its kind in West Africa, will promote innovative talent management strategies for the financial services sector; encourage strategic learning, cross fertilisation of ideas and networking for value; promote investment and economic growth, especially in the financial services industry; enhance access to information, knowledge experience and expertise of professionals from other jurisdictions, and provide unique platform for bilateral relations.
This analysts believe will strengthen investment in banking sector, economic growth as well as promote innovative talent management strategies for the financial services sector of the country.
The WCBI, which is a biennial conference for all the banking institutes across the globe, commenced in Edinburgh Scotland in 1975, as part of activities to commemorate the Centenary celebrations of the Institute of Bankers in Scotland. Since then, over 21 countries including USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, South Africa, Sweden, Australia, France, India, Ireland, Bahamas, UAE, Kenya, among others, have hosted the event.
The Institute was unanimously voted as the host for the 22nd WCBI in 2017, after a robust presentation to the delegates by Debola Osibogun, president/chairman of Council, at the just concluded 21st edition of the WCIB conference, in Seoul, South Korea, organised by the Korea Institute of Bankers.
Earlier, the Institute had secured the support of the regional groups such as the European Banking and Financial Services Training Association (EBTN); Asian-Pacific Association of Banking Institutes International Conference (APABI) and Alliance of African Institutes of Bankers (AAIOB), as well as the Central Bank of Nigeria; Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation; the Bankers Committee; the Nigerian Embassy in the Republic of South Korea, and indeed, the Federal Government Nigeria.
This hosting right underscored the confidence of the banking institutes all over the world, in the role and contribution of the Institute, in ensuring high quality education and learning services for a safe and sound financial system in Nigeria and its leadership role among the banking institutes in Africa, Osibogun said.
“We will also make our best effort in providing a world-class arrangement for the conference, which already has an all-inclusive Planning and Organising Committee to work for the next two years. In no distant future therefore, we will unveil some of the programmes and activities lined up for the conference,” she said.
The WCBI serves as a veritable platform for the banking institutes to strategically appraise the achievements and challenges faced by the banking sub-sector globally and also their responsibilities in effectively supporting the financial sector’s performance.
The CBN participated in the conference and was led by Joseph Nnanna, deputy governor, Financial Systems Stability.
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