In line with its mandate to consistently build the capacity of banking professionals and changing the banking and finance landscape through technology and fintech evolution, the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) is set to host the largest gathering of bankers at the 15th annual Banking and Finance Conference.
Speaking at the pre-conference media briefing at the weekend in Lagos, the President/Chairman of Council, CIBN, Dr. Ken Opara said that the annual flagship conference provides a veritable platform critical stakeholders in the banking industry and economy to share experiences and exchange ideas on contemporary on issues of the economy.
The two-day hybrid 15th conference which is billed to take place at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja will hold between September 13 and 14, is themed “Repositioning the Financial Services Industry for an Evolving Glocal Context”.
CIBN President said, “The Annual Banking and Finance Conference is the flagship programme of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) hosted annually to provide a platform for all stakeholders in the banking and finance industry which includes policymakers, regulators, operators, academicians, clients in the industry etc. to share experiences and exchange ideas on contemporary issues affecting the sector and the economy.”
According to him, the conference will attract over 1,000 banking and finance professionals from across 150 countries in the Americas, Australia, Asia, Europe and other parts of Africa.
The Chairman of the Consultative Committee of the conference, Abubakar Suleiman said the objective of the conference is to, among others, design a clear road map towards repositioning the financial services industry for growth and stability.
“The world is going through a huge amount of transformation. Over the last 15 years, technology has transformed the way we do almost everything that we do: the way we lend, teach, earn, communicate. And banking is not left out of that. And when you think about the fact that fifteen years ago, we were just putting the first set of ATM in place, debit cards were new – we never had one.
“Today, people are using their biometrics or smart phone. You can see that the world has completely changed. And therefore, it is left for the industry to change along with it. But beyond the technology gap we have now adopted, even in the context of finance or what should be considered, for instance, we introduced the e-Naira into the context last year. The industry therefore must continue to transform itself,” Suleiman said.
Dignitaries expected at the global banking conference include President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, Minister of the Federal Capital territory, Mohammed Musa, the chief host is the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, among other invited guests.
