President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, are among the top dignitaries billed to attend the 15th Annual Banking and Finance Conference organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

The two-day conference scheduled to hold at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja from Tuesday, September 13 to Wednesday, September 14, is themed, ‘Repositioning the Financial Services Industry for an Evolving Glocal Context’.

According to a statement issued by the Media and Publicity Sub-Committee Chairman of the Conference Planning Consultative Committee, Rasheed Bolarinwa, the conference would draw session chairs, speakers, panelists, and participants from the banking, finance, health, telecommunications, media, entertainment, financial technology (fintech), and other key sectors and sub sectors of the Nigerian economy.

The conference which would be virtual via Zoom is organised through a Consultative Committee of the CIBN, Chaired by the Managing Director/CEO, Sterling Bank Plc, Abubakar Suleiman.

The business session would feature the topical issues which include Banking in Africa: The Role of AfCFTA and PAPSS; Nigeria’s economy in the last five years: Lessons learnt and choices to make in the next five years; Workforce globalisation: Opportunities and threat; Banking and Fintech: The nexus and opportunities; Climate change: The role of financial services sector.

The breakout session would address Sustainable financing: Opportunities, challenges and solutions for the energy sector; Food security: Unlocking Nigeria’s potentials to feed Africa; Creating economy: Scaling for jobs; Harnessing the untapped opportunities in Nigeria’s healthcare system.

The President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Ken Opara, had at a recently held pre-conference media parley in Lagos said the conference would provide a veritable platform for stakeholders to share ideas on how to address changing trends in the industry and how new development are evolving in the sector.

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Okpara stated that the conference would attract dignitaries from around the world, hence the Institute’s decision to adopt a hybrid (physical and virtual) mode.

“The banking industry has continued to evolve; technological innovation is the in thing in the industry.

“Nigeria’s financial system is the only industry today that you can see and witness the kind of innovation that is evolving right before us.

“It is one of the few industry in the world to have developed and delivered a robust real time payment services that has been a model other countries are studying.

“But we think that the industry is dynamic, as changes continue to evolve speedily across board globally.

“You can see telling impact disruption in the global supply chain caused during and after Covid-19 pandemic, you can also see what is happening with the Russian-Ukraine war with its devastating consequences across all spheres including our sector.

“So, the idea is basically to have this conference that will provide a platform to share ideas on how best to address changing trends in the industry and how envisage and be well prepared to face evoving issues.

“Also, how do we build capacity, how do we energise our people, how do we ensure that the new generation of people continue to be relevant in the industry,” Opara said.

The keynote speaker for the Conference is the Chairman, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, Farouk Gumel.

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, would be the Chief Host, while the CIBN President would be the host.

The Star