Access Bank Plc is at the forefront of Sustainable Banking in Nigeria, Deputy Managing Director, Ms.. Chizoba Okolie, has said.

She spoke at the Sustainable Banking Roundtable organised by her bank, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Financial Nigeria in Abuja, yesterday.

Okolie said:  “Creating a society where sustainable development lies at its core has become a priority for us at Access Bank.

We initiated and led development of Nigerian society banking principles, a set of nine principles approved by the CBN to guide the Nigerian banking industry to embed sustainability in their business operations and practices.

“We also work with United Nations Environment Programnes Finance institute and other leading banks as the only West African banks to develop the principles for responsible banking.

The principles serve as the global standard of benchmark for banking decisions to form responsive financial institutions.

“Serving as Africa’s consultative leader will galvanise five Nigerian banks and their CEOs to become signatories to the principles.

We also work with United Nations Environment Programmes Finance institute and other leading banks as the only west African bank to develop the principles for responsible banking. The principle serves as the global standard of benchmark for banking decisions to form responsive financial institutions.”

The bank chief said  Access Bank’s commitment to sustainability has yielded great benefits, adding: “We have significant progress in embedding sustainability as a core of our business decisions, operations and practices.”

In her remarks, Special Adviser to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Aisha Mahmood, noted that since the adoption of the Nigerian sustainability banking principles, Nigerian financial institutions had been integrating economic and social framework to manage risks and opportunities in their business processes and activities.