The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and the Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB) have jointly called on banks to further deepen and prioritise financial inclusion, women’s empowerment, and sustained growth through strategic mandates and frameworks. These initiatives aim to close the financial gap and empower more micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) owners across the country.
Courtesy Visit to New CIBN President
Both organisations made this call during a courtesy visit to the newly invested 24th President and Chairman of Council of the CIBN, Dr. Dele Alabi, Ph.D, FCIB. The visit served as part of plans to congratulate him on his investiture as well as seek a stronger alliance between both professional bodies. The delegation from ACAMB expressed their commitment to collaborating with the CIBN on shared goals.
Dr. Alabi’s Investiture and IMPACT Vision
The visit followed Dr. Alabi’s investiture on Saturday, May 16, 2026, where he unveiled his “IMPACT” Vision, themed “Consolidating Our Local Impact, Enhancing Our Global Relevance.” The vision rests on six key pillars: Inclusion across geographic, gender, and generational lines; Membership growth and quality; Professionalism and ethics; Accountability; Competencies and skills development; and Technology, automation, and innovation.
Other areas of shared interest highlighted during the meeting included women empowerment, financial inclusion and literacy, as well as MSME clinics, all of which are top priorities on the newly inaugurated president’s agenda.
Women Empowerment and Financial Inclusion at the Core
Dr. Alabi explained that under his leadership, the institute will be prioritising financial inclusion and women empowerment because of its realisation that women are often the primary financial managers and caregivers in families. He emphasised that access to savings, micro-credit, and insurance acts as a safety net during crises and allows women to significantly improve living conditions for their households.
“We understand that empowering women financially has a multiplier effect on communities. That is why our IMPACT pillars explicitly include inclusion across gender lines,” Alabi stated.
Joint Knowledge Sharing and Public Awareness
The CIBN president added that the institute would be happy to drive joint knowledge sharing and exchange sessions with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and ACAMB across various platforms. He noted that educating the public through public awareness programmes, with ACAMB as the rallying point, is central to what they do.
“Educating the public through public awareness programmes, with ACAMB as the rallying point, is central to what we do,” he noted.
Strengthening Collaboration for Sustainable Growth
Both CIBN and ACAMB expressed optimism that the strengthened partnership would lead to more effective financial inclusion strategies, greater support for MSMEs, and enhanced professional development among bankers. The collaboration is expected to include workshops, seminars, and joint advocacy efforts aimed at closing the financial gap in Nigeria.
