Access Bank Plc has been named the Best Commercial Bank in Nigeria at the International Banker Awards 2021. The bank received the prestigious award on account of its significant strides in becoming Africa’s gateway to the world.
The International Banker Awards is a respected industry event that celebrates and recognises top-ranking individuals and organisations setting new benchmarks for performance and pushing the boundaries within the financial industry.
Commenting on the recognition, the Group Managing Director and CEO, Herbert Wigwe, said: “We are grateful for this recognition of our relentless efforts in becoming a world-class financial institution. The significant position we occupy today in the African financial sector has been achieved through a robust long-term approach to client solutions – providing sustainable and innovative services.”
“As part of our growth strategy, we remain focused on mainstreaming sustainable business practices into our operations. This recognition serves as an encouragement for us to continue to build on our successes and invest even more in sustainable economic growth that is profitable, environmentally responsible, and socially relevant,” he concluded.
Wigwe was also recognised as Africa’s Best Banking CEO of the year. He was awarded for his visionary, innovative and transformational leadership in spearheading the market expansion of Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest bank despite the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under Wigwe’s stewardship, Access Bank also launched the Nigerian Green Bond Market Development Programme. The initiative, organised in partnership with FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange, Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Africa, Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), was set up to develop a non-sovereign green bond market that will entrench the principles of sustainability into the Nigerian capital markets.
In 2020, Access Bank invested over N10.25 billion in various corporate social responsibility efforts, impacting over 194 communities and 43 NGOs. These projects focused on our CSR priority areas which are Health, Education, Sport, Arts, Environment, Women Empowerment and Social Welfare.
