Heritage Bank wins agric, SME awards

For its leadership position in delivering development and growth of the Agricultural sector and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Heritage Bank Plc, ­­­­­­­­Nigeria’s Most Innovative Banking Service provider, has been adjudged “Best SME Bank Nigeria 2018” by Capital Finance International (CFI.co)

It also emerged as the “Agriculture Bank of the Year 2018” by the Nigeria Agriculture Awards (MAA), as well as awarded the Best CIBN Chapter of the Year 2018, in terms of members’ mobilisation and participation and sponsorship of the Institute programmes.

CFI is an esteemed print journal reporting on business, economics and finance, headquartered in London.

The award is based on recommendations and voting from CFI Partners such as the World Bank, IMF, WTO, UN and IFC.

On the other hand, the NAA is an annual event powered by AgroNigeria, aimed at recognising and rewarding men, women, businesses and institutions, who have contributed to Nigeria’s re-emergence as a veritable force in agriculture.

Also, Heritage bank won “For Sustainable Transaction of The Year in Agriculture,” in the inaugural Nigeria Sustainable Banking Award convened by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Commenting on the awards, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Heritage Bank, Ifie Sekibo, was quoted to have said: “We are highly honoured to be awarded by renowned organisations and regulators as one of the most supportive financial institutions to the agriculture and SME industries.

These are key sectors of the economy, and validate the hard work and success story of the bank to create, preserve, and transfer wealth across generations.”

According to him, Heritage Bank has been on the driver’s seat of the agricultural and SME financing revolution, and will continue to compliment the efforts of the CBN by making funds available to both individuals and corporate organisations in their efforts to increase outputs in both sectors.

He, however, noted that the bank would support the drive for cash crop commodities that would boost Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings, which the President Mohammad Buhari’s administration has always been cautious given the dangers the continuous reliance on imported food items pose to its efforts to create jobs as well as develop and diversify the economy.