Oceanic Bank International Plc has won the 2007 Nigerian Bank of the Year Award.
At the award ceremony organised by The Banker magazine, a subsidiary of the Financial Times of London in London on Wednesday, Oceanic Bank was adjudged the Nigerian Bank of the year for the second time running.
The bank had earlier won the award in 2006.
The Managing Director of the bank, Mrs. Cecilia Ibru, said she was dedicating the award to all the staff of the bank.
“I am deeply blessed and honoured to be working with such talented, dedicated and hardworking team, without them, this award will not have been possible,” she stated.
Ibru said that Oceanic Bank was highly committed to delivering value to the Nigerian economy, and to its core stakeholders. “We will not relent on our high standards,” she said.
The Oceanic Bank boss stated that the award would spur the bank to continue with its various strategies towards being an African bank to be reckoned with in the international community.”
A statement from the bank on Thursday said the editor-in-chief of The Banker Magazine, Mr. Philip Timewell, paid particular tributes to banks from the emerging markets for turning in excellent financial performances when their counterparts in Europe and America were facing serious crises as a result of the recent spate of turbulences in the financial markets.
The event was said to have been attended by representatives of banks from over 143 countries, which entered the awards.
According to the statement, highlights of the night included the lifetime achievement award given to William Rhodes, a 50-year veteran of Citibank.
From a total of 12 branches as at September 31, 2000, the bank grew its branch network to 320 business offices – 286 branches, 24 e-Banking centres and 10 collection points.
“The bank currently ranks amongst the top four banks in the industry in terms of branch network. In the 2006/2007 financial year alone , it added a total of 135 business offices to its branch network while two subsidiaries – Oceanic Capital Limited and Oceanic Insurance Limited – became fully operational,” said the statement.
The bank is one of the few that have recorded outstanding successes in the funding of SMEs through the Small and Medium Enterprises Equity Investment Scheme.
By Festus Akanbi
The Punch
Friday, November 30, 2007
