Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, Chairman, First Bank |
Either for being consumer or receiving business
proposal, the attention needed to grow digital innovation cannot be wished away
by Deposit Money Banks. But for a start, the Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria
Limited, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, has
said financial institutions must now create specialised fund to finance the
innovations that has become central to today’s banking and payment system. She
made the call in a keynote address delivered at the 2016 yearly retreat of the Committee of e-Banking Industry Heads
(CeBIH), with the theme: “Disruptive
Technology and Future of Payment”, in Abuja.
Awosika said that such fund has become necessary to facilitate emergence of Nigeria as an exporting nation in terms of digital solutions, challenging the group to take it up as an agenda.
She said: “I think as an organisation, you need to mobilise your
institutions to create funds to help young minds create solutions. As we are
buying solutions from around the world, we can be selling our homegrown
solutions too. It can also be sold to the rest of the world. The institutions
with the deep pockets should contribute towards research for the developments
that are required. As an organisation, you should add that to your agenda so
that you can impact on the process of building the future.”
She noted that while the financial services industry
must embrace technological changes, which have become a regular
occurrence, it is the task of CeBIH members to think holistically and
come up with responsive solutions that will help the industry leverage of these
changes.
She said: “My challenge to you as industry professionals is that as
you lead this, don’t have a narrow view and that is the beauty of your
collaborative action. You all represents competing institutions, but works
under one umbrella and thinking for the industry. We will gain from this. But
let the solutions that you proffer be responsible, solving the problems of the
industry and also create solutions for the society at large.”
The Chairman of CeBIH and Chief Digital Officer, Wema
Bank Plc, Dele Adeyinka, reiterated
that the focus of CeBIH is collaboration to drive exponential growth of the
electronic payment industry.
He said: “CEBIH was established in 2009 with the objective of
promoting electronic banking services in line with global best practice and
serve as a forum for sharing ideas and experiences among the practitioners
saddled with the responsibility of implementing strategies for a strong and
thriving electronic business in their respective banks.
“Over the years, the committee’s focus has been on
collaboration and in this spirit, banks have partnered to collectively seek
ways of enhancing the industry in a manner that protects the interest of member
banks and ultimately the banking public.
“As an association, we have experienced the gains of
collaboration and presenting a common front in addressing issues that affect
our business. This is in line with the vision of the founding members as stated
in our tag line: Driving Excellence and
Dynamism through Collaboration. Our desire is therefore to see that this
type of collaboration becomes an industry-wide phenomenon.” (Guardian)
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