By Musa Isa Ahmed
Record has been regarded by industry watchers as one of the best run financial institutions in Africa, a reputation that has been further buttressed by its recent recognition as the Best Bank in Nigeria by the renowned business and finance magazine Euromoney, for a record-extending ten times between 2010 and 2020. The foremost African financial institution was also recently awarded the Euromoney Excellence in Leadership Africa Award for its swift reaction in responding to the Covid-19 crisis and for addressing the impact of the pandemic on its customers and communities.
Euromoney’s Awards for Excellence is one of the most coveted accolades in the global financial services sector. The Magazine’s Awards for Excellence celebrates the best banks around the world by recognizing institutions that have demonstrated leadership, innovation, and momentum in the markets they operate. Key to GTBank’s dominance as the Euromoney’s Best Bank in Nigeria is the Bank’s consistency in driving new innovations in financial services, championing community development programs that uplift the most vulnerable in society, and delivering the best performance across several key financial indices. The Euromoney awards also reflects the efficacy of the Bank’s long-term strategy and the dedication of a senior management team that abhors complacency, puts a premium on excellent service quality and keeps the business in a constant state of innovation.
Regarding GTBank’s Excellence in Leadership Award, Euromoney said; “One of the first things Nigeria’s Guaranty Trust Bank did with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic was to get in touch with local authorities to see how the bank could help. Recognizing that the pandemic would stretch the public healthcare system, the Bank partnered with local authorities to set up a care facility for people with Covid-19. “GTBank also granted small and medium-sized enterprises a grace period of 90 days [which has since been extended by a further 3 months] on all loan payments. It is also developing other resources to help SMEs better understand and navigate the impact of the pandemic,” the magazine added.
Commenting on the Bank’s Euromoney Awards, the Chief Executive Officer of GTBank, Segun Agbaje, said; “We feel very humbled to be awarded the Excellence in Leadership in Africa Award and immensely proud to be named Nigeria’s Best Bank for a record tenth time. These awards reflect what we are all about at GTBank—giving back to society and adding value to people’s lives. They are also testaments to our commitment to always be there for our customers and communities as a beacon of hope, an engine of progress and a platform for enriching lives.”
He further stated that; “As we continue to navigate the fallout of this pandemic, the imperative of our time as an organization remains safeguarding our lives and livelihoods. This means that we will continue to lead from the frontlines by protecting our employees, serving our customers wherever they may be, helping businesses make it through these uncertain times and supporting public authorities in combatting the pandemic.”
GTBank serves as a role model within the financial service industry due to its bias for world class corporate governance standards, excellent service quality and innovation. Renowned for its forward-thinking approach to financial services and customer engagement, the Bank was recently ranked Africa’s Most Admired Finance Brand in the 10th-anniversary rankings of Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands, the pre-eminent survey and ranking of the Top 100 admired brands in Africa.
