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PAGE 40—Vanguard, SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2019<br />
How Heritage Bank is investing in young people<br />
By Pachaline Nwakundo<br />
he performance of Corpo<br />
Trate Social Responsibility,<br />
CSR, is one of the sterling factors<br />
that distinguish leading financial<br />
institutions in Nigeria.<br />
In this area, banks and telecommunication<br />
companies<br />
have maintained the lead, as they<br />
have notably invested in human<br />
capital development across the<br />
country.<br />
One of such institutions that<br />
stand out is Heritage Bank, a financial<br />
institution that is contributing<br />
to the improvement of<br />
the lives of Nigerians, especially<br />
young business owners.<br />
Considering the importance of<br />
young people to the growth of<br />
any economy, the bank’s commitment<br />
is indeed remarkable.<br />
There is hardly any time that<br />
Heritage Bank is not in the news<br />
for CSR programmes, testifying<br />
to its commitment to improving<br />
economic development and wellbeing<br />
of communities, while also<br />
maximizing shared value for<br />
business, employees, and shareholders.<br />
Worthy of note is the bank’s<br />
support to the Moses Siasia-led<br />
Young Nigerian Professionals<br />
Forum, NYPF, an organisation<br />
that seeks to harness Nigeria’s<br />
economic, political and social<br />
resources using contemporary<br />
leadership techniques.<br />
The bank’s assistance was noticeable<br />
in the support it has provided<br />
for NYPF’s YESGrant<br />
which provides business training<br />
for 600 young entrepreneurs.<br />
The scheme trains youths in<br />
agriculture, creative business<br />
and Information and Communication<br />
Technology, ICT.<br />
Consequently, grants were<br />
awarded to about 35 young entrepreneurs<br />
in agriculture, creative<br />
industry and ICT sectors<br />
after a rigorous review process<br />
• Sekibo<br />
conducted by an independent<br />
body, out of the tens of thousands<br />
who applied.<br />
Impressed by the success of the<br />
scheme, Siasia commended Heritage<br />
Bank for its consistent support<br />
to the growth of Small and<br />
Medium Enterprises, SMEs, in<br />
Nigeria.<br />
He also called on all stakeholders<br />
to see youth development<br />
as a necessity for national<br />
growth.<br />
Another outstanding support<br />
from the bank was its decision<br />
to embrace NYPF’s anti-modern<br />
day slavery campaign.<br />
At an international conference<br />
on illegal migration organised<br />
by the NYPF in Abuja, it was obvious<br />
that the success of the event<br />
was made possible by Heritage<br />
Bank and other partners.<br />
Titled, International Action on<br />
Illegal Migration and Trafficking<br />
in Persons Conference, the<br />
forum was primarily convened<br />
to strengthen a multi-stakeholder<br />
partnership in curbing illegal<br />
migration and human trafficking.<br />
With participants drawn from<br />
One of the reasons<br />
why we chose, as an<br />
organization, to<br />
support the<br />
entrepreneurial<br />
growth and welfare of<br />
the youths is to see<br />
young men and<br />
women play vital<br />
roles in the socioeconomic<br />
development of the<br />
country and help<br />
curb the high level of<br />
unemployment<br />
ADEBOLA TIES THE KNOT WITH TEMI DEE<br />
Adebola Makanjuola, son of the Chairman of Caverton Helicopters, Mr. Aderemi Muyinudeen<br />
Makanjuola and Ms Cassandra Omage, a businesswoman and a retired Assistant Director of Information<br />
at the Federal Ministry of Information, married the love of his life, Temidayo popularly<br />
called Temi Dee recently in Los-Angeles, California. It was a well-attended Ranch themed white<br />
wedding which was preceded by a lavish engagement ceremony held at Oriental hotel, Lagos. Here<br />
are some of the faces at the ceremony in LA, California:<br />
international and local agencies<br />
working on human trafficking<br />
and illegal migration, the forum<br />
was an avenue to hear first-hand<br />
gory tales about the crisis.<br />
Encouraged by the successes<br />
the NYPF has recorded so far<br />
with assistance from the bank,<br />
Siasia recently described the<br />
bank as the bridge to the future.<br />
He particularly lauded the<br />
bank for supporting NYPF’s<br />
Skills and Entrepreneurship Programme,<br />
SEDP, for young returnee<br />
irregular migrants.<br />
Siasia said the bank’s commitment<br />
to NYPF’s vision is adding<br />
value to the anti-modern day slavery<br />
campaign launched by the<br />
group.<br />
His words:” Heritage Bank is<br />
a bank that is passionately supporting<br />
the aspiration of young<br />
people in Nigeria.<br />
“Heritage Bank supports<br />
Nigerian Young Professionals<br />
Forum’s scheme for young business<br />
owners, which has aided the<br />
growth of thousands of small<br />
businesses.<br />
“We are glad to say that the<br />
bank has provided sponsorship<br />
to NYPF, especially some of our<br />
capacity building conferences<br />
for young people across Nigeria<br />
“The bank is seriously supporting<br />
our Skills and Entrepreneurship<br />
Programme, SEDP, for<br />
young returnee irregular migrants<br />
and our campaign to<br />
combat modern-day slavery in<br />
Nigeria. “The bank’s unrelenting<br />
support to our vision attests<br />
to its commitment to Corporate<br />
Social Responsibility. They are<br />
not only supporting our initiatives<br />
but are also promoting Nigeria’s<br />
values and culture across<br />
the country. It is commendable.<br />
“I see Heritage Bank as Nigeria’s<br />
premier bank that provides<br />
hope to the aspirations of Nigerians<br />
with cutting edge solutions.<br />
“We have a lot of banks in Nigeria,<br />
but Heritage Bank stands out<br />
because of their brand philosophical<br />
ideology to invest in the<br />
future.”<br />
It would be recalled that the<br />
bank emerged as Nigeria’s Most<br />
Innovative Banking Service Provider<br />
for its outstanding contributions<br />
to improving the lives of<br />
young business owners in at the<br />
5th-anniversary ceremony of<br />
NYPF in 2018.<br />
The bank was bestowed with<br />
the “Best Bank of the Year Business<br />
Support/Entrepreneur Development,”<br />
at the Africa Value<br />
Award 2018.<br />
It was adjudged “Best SME<br />
Bank Nigeria 2018” by Capital<br />
Finance International (CFI.co)<br />
and “Agriculture Bank of the<br />
Year 2018” by the Nigeria Agriculture<br />
Awards, MAA.<br />
It was also honoured by the<br />
Chartered Institute of Bankers of<br />
Nigeria, CIBN, in terms of members’<br />
mobilisation and participation<br />
as well as sponsorship of<br />
the institute’s programmes.<br />
At the fourth edition of Green<br />
October Event 2018, organised<br />
by Alamode Magazine, the bank<br />
emerges as the “Most Supportive<br />
Bank of the Year.”<br />
Speaking at the NYPF, awards<br />
in Abuja, MD/CEO of Heritage<br />
Bank Plc, Ifie Sekibo said the<br />
honour spoke volume of the<br />
bank’s efforts to demonstrate its<br />
commitment towards developing<br />
and positioning youths to<br />
become world-class citizens<br />
equipped and ready to be absorbed<br />
into an increasingly competitive<br />
workforce.<br />
“One of the reasons why we<br />
chose, as an organization, to<br />
support the entrepreneurial<br />
growth and welfare of the youths<br />
is to see young men and women<br />
play vital roles in the socio-economic<br />
development of the country<br />
and help curb the high level<br />
of unemployment,” Sekibo said.<br />
The Managing Director, who<br />
was represented by Jubril Adeojo,<br />
Team Lead, Power Corporate<br />
Banking, said Heritage Bank is<br />
positioned to lead the rec<strong>over</strong>y<br />
of the economy through enhancing<br />
youth entrepreneurship development<br />
and engendering selfemployment<br />
via its various initiatives<br />
and products.<br />
According to Sekibo, the<br />
drive to support youths seeks to<br />
create, preserve and transfer<br />
wealth across generations.<br />
He explained that the entrepreneur<br />
schemes of the bank had<br />
always focused on dependable<br />
job-creating sectors, such as agricultural<br />
value chain (fish farming,<br />
poultry, snail farming), cottage<br />
industry, mining, and solid<br />
minerals, creative industry<br />
(tourism, arts and crafts), and<br />
ICT.<br />
•The bride and groom - Adebola Makanjuola and wife, Temidayo<br />
The bride and groom with the groom’s sister, Cora (3rd right); groom’s mum, Cassandra<br />
Omage (2nd right); and Cora’s children, Jayden (right) and Cassy (left)<br />
The bride and groom with the groom’s mum, Cassandra (2nd right) and the bride’s father,<br />
Tokunbo Abudu (right)<br />
L-R: Winifred Agunbiade; Chief Olusegun Olusanya; Cassandra Omage (the<br />
groom’s mum), Mrs Olusanya and Sade Odusoga
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