Investing in human capital and capacity development raises productivity of workers due to upgraded skills and better education, as it empowers the work force with capacity for new ideas and innovations to deliver on their mandate.
This was the key take away of the inaugural graduation ceremony of First Bank’s Retail Banking Certification Programme held in Lagos recently, where 44 candidates that cut across various segment of the bank were certified.
Adesola Adeduntan, MD/CEO of First Bank Plc, said certification without the acquisition of the necessary skills and capability is meaningless; stating it is the bulk of the problem plaguing Africa as a continent. “Because you also work in a service industry, skills and capability acquisition without the necessary attitude is useless because at the end of the day, when our customers and stakeholders encounter us – how do they experience us,” said Adeduntan.
However, it is imperative to note that human capital development and skills acquisition are the two key determinant of growth in transition economies, as emerging markets across the globe, such as Nigeria aspire to boost and grow its economy of scale.
“Certification is very important; skills and capacity acquisition is even more important, but on top of that it is our attitude to service weather we are dealing with internal customers but more importantly when we are dealing with personal customers because without our customers we will not exist,” Adeduntan said.
According to the First Bank CEO, the certification programme also underscores the importance of personal development over time spent on the job. Adeduntan further said that certification in the banking and financial industry is about bankers’ performance and input.
The First Bank retail banking certification underscores how human resource can be transformed into human capital through education, training, and improved health care delivery. It is so because human capital provides the resources for the development and deepening of other areas of intellectual assets such as research and development, and training.
“The certification reinforces and enhances all the necessary tools that they need to have to excel in their chosen career. So, certification just ensures that they have the requisite knowledge to make sure they function effectively,” Ini Ebong of First Academy.
According to him, in ensuring standardized sales delivery across all branches of the bank; First Bank is going the certification route for better performance especially in areas of retail banking, as it deals directly with customers’ relationship management. “We will give them the right kind of training and certify them to ensure they deliver well on their mandate,” said Ebong
BALA AUGIE
