Access Bank donates to UNICEF for children, national development

Access Bank Group has donated N10 million to UNICEF towards reaching out to and highlighting the plight of vulnerable children, orphans and internationally displaced persons.

This is part of the bank’s continued support of UNICEF along with 5th Chukker as it hosted the ‘Access Bank Polo Day’ at the Guards Polo Club, Windsor, United Kingdom over the weekend.

The annual polo event is the climax to the high-profile Access Bank/UNICEF Charity Shield Polo tournament, which is in its ninth year and was chaired by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II.

Emir Sanuai II thanked the bank for its supports for the UNICEF campaign, children, orphans, displaced people and its drive for socio-economic development of the nation.

Based in Kaduna, the event is the biggest charity polo tournament in Africa and stimulates support for the work of the UNICEF / ACCESS Bank initiative across the African continent. The donation will also aid UNICEF in its campaign against HIV/AIDS among Nigerian children.

Since the UNICEF/ACCESS Bank initiative was started, it has rebuilt two schools in Kaduna and kept more than 8,000 students in continuous education, while at the same time developing new school blocks and a computer literacy building all in a more secure and friendly school environment. The communities surrounding the schools are being supported with bore-holes for water, and sewing and grinding machines to secure employment and stimulate economic and social development.

Access Bank’s group managing director/CEO and chairman of The Access Bank UK Limited, Mr. Herbert Wigwe noted that the bank is supporting the Fifth Chukker UNICEF Initiative as a way of aiding the socio-economic development of the country.

Hear him: “We are conscious of our role as a change agent in Nigeria that can help institute socio-economic development through responsible business practice and environmental considerations.

“In addition, we are continually seeking ways through which more resources can be pooled towards supporting the children.  We are part of the community and as such should support its wellbeing”, he added.

The Access Bank UK Limited which just published its Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2015 has recorded impressive double-digit growth indicators including 31 per cent increase in operating income, 72 per cent increase in profit before tax and 74 per cent increase in post-tax profit.

Commenting on the Bank’s success, chief executive officer and managing director Jamie Simmonds said: “We are now in our second five year plan that embodies our principles of relationship-based banking, growing our business through the depth and quality of customer relationships, while at the same time maintaining a moderate appetite for risk.

“Our objective is to grow the international business of Access Bank Group through customer service excellence, and innovative solutions in trade finance, commercial banking and asset management”, he noted.

Drawing attention to the Bank’s 2015 highlights, Jamie Simmonds added: “In 2015 we launched an operation in the UAE, introduced a high net worth regulated execution only mortgage product and unveiled an on-line retail savings product.

“Our achievements owe a great deal to the strong partnership that we have with our parent company, as evidenced by our joint support of the fifth Access Bank Day at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor.”

On his part, Wigwe paid tribute to the UK operation by saying: “The Access Bank UK has become the business we always envisaged it would.  Founded on a model of excellent service and moderate risk appetite it has grown income, increased profit and delivers a healthy return on equity.  Importantly it is adding value to Access Bank Group and enhancing the Group’s stature on the international stage.”