CIBN to build banking school to increase graduate employability

 The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), says plans are underway to establish a Banking School to train and equip graduates to become employable in the banking, finance and business industry.

Dr Ken Opara, President/Chairman of Council, CIBN, made the disclosure at the ground-breaking ceremony of a 160-seater auditorium, named ‘CIBN Bankers Hall’, at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, on Friday.

Opara said: “Plans are underway to establish a Banking school in Nigeria.

“As soon as a student who has undergone the CIBN linkage programme graduates and finishes the National Youth Service Corps programme, he will be given the privilege to attend the banking school at no cost.

“You will be trained and made ready for employment in banks and other financial institutions. Banks have also agreed that the banking school will become a pool where they will be recruiting young bankers.”

Opara said that the CIBN Linkage Programme which was initiated in 1998 in collaboration with 76 tertiary institutions in Nigeria, had continued to transform and change the narrative of banking education.

He said that the Linkage Programme which commenced at NAU in 2008, deepened banking, finance and allied programmes through infusion of professional elements in the teaching and learning processes.

According to him, the linkage programme is also addressing the gap between the industry and the academia in terms of quality graduates produced from higher institutions.

“The Nnamdi Azikiwe University emerged one of the best linkage programme institution for creating value and building capacity. Hence, the donation of the 160-seating capacity lecture hall.

“The CIBN Bankers Hall for students of the department of Banking and Finance, is a legacy project bequeathed to NAU and will be delivered in four months.

“The hall will be a smart resource centre, fully furnished and equipped with ultra-modern and digital facilities for the training and development of future-ready bankers.

“This project is the institute’s modest contribution toward the promotion of banking and finance education in the country,” Opara said.

Dr Ken Opara, President/Chairman of Council, CIBN visits Prof. Charles Esimone, Vice-Chancellor Nnamdi Azikiwe University on Friday (NAN)

Also speaking, Prof. Charles Esimone, Vice-Chancellor of NAU, said that the university placed high premium on collaboration with industry to produce graduates with competence and skills needed in the labour market.

Esimone appreciated CIBN for providing the needed support through endowment projects.

“There is need to deepen this beneficially mutual collaboration between CIBN and NAU. The hall will be an environment for credible global research to help the institution fulfil its mandate, ” he said.

In his remarks, Prof. Pius Okoye, Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences, NAU, said the faculty had benefited from CIBN in forms of exposures for banking and finance students.

Okoye said that the CIBN linkage programme created an opportunity for students who wants to pursue their academic studies concurrently with their professional banking certification.

“We pledge that the CIBN Bankers hall, shall on completion, be put to good use and we will maintain it for the development of banking experiences,” he said.