Lagos, bankers institute to host global banking forum

The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in collaboration with Lagos State government will host the 22nd edition of the World Conference of Banking Institute (WCBI) forum in Lagos.

As part of activities for celebrating the 50 years anniversary of the state, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has expressed his readiness to partner with CIBN.

He said it would be a veritable opportunities for promoting investment potentials existing in the state.

He said: “As a government, we are also trying to brand Lagos as a world class city to live in, and so we will partner and support the conference and list it as part of the events to celebrate Lagos at 50 and use it as a platform to promote financial tourism for the State.”

The Conference, which is scheduled for April 24 – 28, 2017 at Eko Hotel, Lagos, is a biennial global forum that brings together professionals from the financial services sector and other stakeholders engaged in banking operation, education and training.

Since its inception in the United Kingdom in 1975, the major objective of the conference has been to provide a global platform for the review of achievements and emerging challenges concerning the functioning of Banking and Finance Institutes and their role in effectively supporting the Financial Sector’s Performance and Profitability.

This will be the first time Nigeria is hosting the global conference.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Governor by members of the Governing Council of CIBN, the President/Chairman of Council of the Institute, Professor Segun Ajibola, said the story of the growth and development of Lagos could not have been completed without the huge contribution of the financial service industry.

He added that the sector remained a veritable vehicle that has been able to drive professionals to contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the State.

“It will therefore be unfair not to appreciate and commend everything that the CIBN has actually done to the growth and development of Lagos”, the Governor said.

The Governor further added that Lagos, as the economic hub of Nigeria and the West African region, contributes about 70 percent of the financial services in the country, therefore the State in collaboration with CIBN was in a good stead to lead the nation out of recession.