Ten months after it was granted a commercial banking license with regional authorization by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Providus Bank marked its entry into the Nigerian banking industry with the inauguration of its ultramodern headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos yesterday.
The high profile launch had in attendance Lagos state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu 1 among other dignitaries.
According to the Managing Director of the new bank, Walter Akpani, the bank was established with a vision to build an enduring and sustainable customer-focused financial institution. Akpani also used the opportunity to commend Governor Ambode for the massive infrastructural development in the State and the efforts at enhancing ease of doing business.
The Governor equally commended the management of Providus Bank for its commitment to positively impact the banking sector, urged the team to come up with programmes that would bring more financial inclusion to Lagos specifically in the area of access to financial services.
“I urge you, as financial intermediaries, to facilitate the growth of the economy by designing products for the real sector thereby supporting made-in-Nigeria goods. I also urge you to pay special attention to Small and Medium Scale Enterprises because these are the fastest vehicles for job creation and growing new businesses,” Ambode said.