Awards for Excellence 2018
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Access Bank in Nigeria, under managing director Herbert Wigwe, leads the way in social and environmental banking efforts, helping improve the country’s health and education, reducing emissions, spearheading sustainability and supporting financial inclusion. Its vast range of work wins Access Bank the award for Africa’s best bank for corporate responsibility.
Access is the leading bank in Nigeria in the area of sustainability. It has a recycling policy, educates employees about waste management and works in communities donating waste bins. Paper-saving challenges are set, where teams can win prizes, encouraging a reduction in waste. The bank also implemented an early shut-down policy and has introduced LED lights. Some 14% of its ATMs are solar-powered and four new solar-powered branches have been opened.
In healthcare, the bank has embarked on health screening for diabetes – Nigeria has the highest rates of diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa. It ran an education campaign in schools on depression that reached 2,000 young people in Lagos. In addition to support for World AIDS Day and World Heart Day, Access Bank runs the Malaria-to-zero initiative, an innovative financing platform designed to galvanize private-sector resources towards avoiding at least one million malaria cases by 2020.
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| Herbert Wigwe |
Women are also a focus for the bank. Internally it has a women’s network to support and nurture female employees and celebrates International Women’s Day. Access Bank also hosted talks on gender-based violence and is involved in efforts to reduce the number of cervical cancer deaths in the country. It offers discounted financing for medical procedures specific to women through its first-of-its-kind Maternal Health Service Support.
In financial inclusion, the bank is working hard where it counts – savings. Last year it launched the Family Banking Scheme to encourage savings and bring in those that are typically excluded from financial services. It also has a fintech incubator designed to look at how fintech can be used to reach and serve the unbanked and under-banked in the country.
