Heritage Bank Wins Three Awards in Agric, SME

L-R: Osepiribo Ben-Willie, Divisional Head, Commercial Banking, Heritage Plc; Olugbenga Awe, Group Head, Agric Finance; Jude Monye, Executive Director, Heritage Bank; Professor Caroline Afolami, Member of the Nigeria Agriculture Awards (NAA) Committee and Bar. Richard-Mark Mbaram, Secretary of NAA Committee and Editor-in-Chief of AgroNigeria, during the award presentation to Heritage Bank Plc as the “Agric Bank of The Year,” in Lagos.

Heritage Bank Plc Nigeria has been adjudged best SME Bank  for 2018 by Capital Finance International and Agriculture Bank of the Year 2018 by Nigeria Agriculture Awards, MAA.
The bank was also awarded the Best CIBN chapter of the Year 2018, in terms of members mobilisation and participation as well as sponsorship of the institute’s programmes.
The bank won the prestigious awards in recognition of its leadership position in delivering development and growth of the Agricultural sector and Small and Medium Enterprises.
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.
The MAA is an annual event powered by Agro-Nigeria, aimed at recognising and rewarding men, women, businesses and institutions that have contributed to Nigeria’s re-emergence as a veritable force in agriculture.
The bank also got the recognition of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, for sustainable transaction of the year in Agriculture in the inaugural Nigeria Sustainable Banking Award convened by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Commenting on the awards, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Heritage Bank, Ifie Sekibo, 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, which are key sectors of the economy.
“This validates 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 driving 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 President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had always canvassed.

Sekibo vowed that the bank would continue to make farming profitable to stakeholders and attractive to the youth, as Heritage Bank  had taken the front seat in financing critical agricultural projects in several states in the country, especially in Oyo, Kaduna and Zamfara.
Meanwhile, the  CFI.co  judging panel said Heritage Bank was particularly recognised for its strong presence and determination to keep close proximity to small and medium sized enterprises, SMEs, segment and customers.

September 24, 2018