L-R: Head, Corporate Communications, Polaris Bank, Mr Rasheed Bolarinwa; National Treasurer, CIBN, Dr Peter Ashade; GMD/CEO, UBA and Chairman Consultative Committee on 17 Annual Banking and Finance Conference, Mr Oliver Alawuba; President/Chairman of Council CIBN, Prof. Pius Olanrewaju; CIBN Registrar/CEO, Mr Akin Morakinyo and Chairman, Media, Publicity and Stakeholders Sub Committee on 17 Annual Banking and Finance Conference, Mr Bashir Nuhu during a World Press Conference to announce the CIBN 17th Annual Banking and Finance Conference in Lagos.
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Azonuchechi Chukwu.
The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), on Thursday, called for increased human capital development to export talents abroad and prevent vacuum from mass migration of experts out of the country.
CIBN President, Prof. Pius Olarenwaju, said this in Lagos at a media briefing to announce the institute’s forthcoming 17th Annual Banking and Finance Conference.
Olarenwaju, while taking questions from journalists, said that a third of 40 recommendations made at the 2023 conference, which included skills export, were already being implemented and yielding positive results.
He said that it was impossible to prevent migration, hence, the measure at the 2023 event towards training more experts.
He said that a Human Capital Development Fund was set up, adding that banks had already contributed over N300 million towards building a training academy to produce more professional bankers.
He said that the project, located in Abeokuta, had begun, and the construction was being managed under the chairmanship of a board headed by a bank managing director.
According to him, banks have been playing pivotal roles in socio economic development of the country.
“So that we do not bother ourselves to say that people should not travel out of the country, what we can do is produce more talents, export talents.
“I was glad that during the week we were talking about money coming from diaspora.
“Let people go out from wherever they are and bring in the money into the system and as they are going there are replacements,” he said.
The CIBN president said that the leap in diaspora remittances was a gain for the nation’s economy.
He said the conference would x-ray the way forward for sustainable economy for Nigeria, out of the present economic turbulence, which he described as a global phenomenal.
He said the 17th annual conference, to be graced by President Bola Tinubu, provides a platform for all stakeholders in the banking and finance industry to proffer solutions to issues affecting the sector and the economy.
The Group Managing Director, UBA, Mr Oliver Alawuba, who is the
Chairman of the Consultative Committee of the conference, supported both skills exportation and skills retention to develop Nigeria.
Alawuba said said the focus should shift from brain drain to brain gain, which will encourage talents to stay or return to develop Nigeria.
He said that he was impressed with results from 2023 conference and promised a follow up on 2024 communique, adding that, the banking sector was committed to moving the country forward.
He said that the hybrid conference tagged, “Accelerated Economic Growth and Development: The State of Play And the Way Forward” would attract over 12,000 global participants. (NAN)
