“God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong…”. Virtually all Ghanaians born and raised in Ghana appreciate the meaning of these words. Most people would also agree to the assertion that Ghana is, however, yet to attain the “great and strong nation” tag or, better still, developed nation status.
What we need, therefore, is for Ghanaians, institutions and corporate entities to upgrade their contributions towards the country’s development in order to make the words come true. After all it is commonly accepted in these parts that “God helps those who help themselves.”
A little over four years ago, Ernest Aryeetey and Ravi Kanbur wrote in the preface to their book, “the economy of Ghana sixty years after independence” that “economic growth in the last decade has been high by historical standards.
Indeed, recent rebasing of gross domestic product (GDP) figures has put Ghana over the per capita income threshold into middle-income country status. However, structural transformation has lagged behind.” This means that with the right momentum generated by all stakeholders, Ghana would take that leap to the desired level.
Tomorrow marks Mother Ghana’s 64th anniversary. Much as it is an opportunity to celebrate, it is also the right time to recommit ourselves to building the great and strong nation we so desire.
Fortunately, individuals, institutions and corporate entities can deliver the much-needed improvements across all the key sectors of Ghana’s economy and society. Corporate entities and institutions, in particular, are able to deliver greater traction on campaigns and the adoption of initiatives.
One corporate entity has however taken the initiative and is using the occasion to put down a marker in terms of the way it will be working towards improving its contributions to Ghana’s development and also how it will raise the same level of consciousness in its employees.
Hear Victor Yaw Asante, Managing Director of FBNBank Ghana, “Our activities as a bank must contribute directly to the socio-economic development of this country. This year, on the occasion of Ghana’s 64th anniversary, which by the way coincides with the Bank’s 25th anniversary in Ghana, we are deepening our credentials as a force-for-good by advancing our contribution and most importantly, getting our staff to up their game as responsible citizens.
Our contributions are in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and would be the strongest show yet of our commitment to put our stakeholders and this country at the heart of what we do.”
In the coming months, FBNBank, as part of its 25th anniversary, will be undertaking a number of activities both internally and externally aimed at improving its contribution to the country’s development.
This would include providing more business support to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through its array of tailored products, unveiling new products and improving upon existing products to clients and customers, delivering more opportunities for growth for its staff as well as increasing its corporate responsibility and sustainability programme, which is aimed at improving the lives of the people in their communities.
Already the Bank has declared its commitment to SMEs and is offering support to ensure that they benefit from the recently introduced African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The gains here would surely improve Ghana’s economy, particularly in the areas of government revenue and the creation of jobs.
Quite recently the Bank, as part of its contribution to the country’s financial inclusion, collections and payments agenda, introduced a bouquet of digital banking channels like *894# Quick Banking, FBNMobile, Online Banking and Agent Banking channel.
These channels leverage new and evolving technologies to facilitate access to everyday financial services for Ghanaians and businesses. They ultimately improve the inclusion of more people in the financial mainstream with greater efficiency and security as add-ons.
Through all these FBNBank Ghana remains focused on delivering the gold standard of value and excellence to its numerous customers. With its “Customer First” value proposition, the Bank is on a quest to endear its brand to its stakeholders by providing relevant solutions to all their banking needs.
With the deployment of the latest technology and a diversity of well-trained staff, FBNBank Ghana’s offering becomes anchored on a very strong foundation of people and process. In addition, FBNBank Ghana is well capitalised, which is an important ingredient for providing the gold standard of customer experience in financial services solutions delivery.
Mr. Asante believes that if corporate entities drive the agenda of a greater commitment to Ghana’s development well, with great results to show, the country would take appreciable steps towards significant economic development. According to him “we are partners with a common agenda.
Once corporate entities look towards profits alone and individuals focus only on their personal well-being we are doomed. Campaigns related to financial inclusion, sanitation, COVID-19 and access to education for up to senior secondary school level, for example, can be successfully driven by non-state actors thus reducing the burden on the central government.
Coming from a heritage built on over a hundred years of consistent contributions towards the economic development of our markets, we at FBNBank consider this as an imperative. There is no better time to up the ante than in our 25th year and on the occasion of Ghana’s 64th independence anniversary.”
FBNBank Ghana’s commitment to the development of Ghana is very much aligned to the rich heritage of its parent company, First Bank of Nigeria (FirstBank). FirstBank has garnered 127 years of active and significant socio-economic contributions to Nigeria and West Africa as a whole. The Bank has in the process built a solid reputation based on its heritage, dependability and strong corporate governance.
About FBNBank Ghana Limited
FBNBank Ghana Limited is a member of the First Bank of Nigeria Limited Group. The Bank has 20 branches and 2 agencies in Ghana with almost 500 staff and offers universal banking services to individuals and businesses. FBNBank Ghana Limited has been in the business of banking for 25 years in Ghana and is part of the trade hub that has grown economies for over 126 years across Africa, Europe and China.
