Bankers, traditional rulers advocate changes in banking education

Banking and finance officials including traditional rulers have reiterated the need for restructuring of banking education to meet up with global best practices.

Speaking at the 22nd World Conference of Banking Institutes (WCBI), at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, titled: “Re-thinking the future of banking and finance and life long learning,” the President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and Chairman, council of the Institute, Prof. Segun Ajibola, said as the world is changing fast there is need for banking and finance practitioners and stakeholders to engage in banking, education and trainings.

Ajibola said this is the third time the conference which started in 1975 is taking place in Africa and first in West Africa sub-region and being hosted by Nigeria. He added that as the world is changing fast there is need for banking and finance practitioners and stakeholders to engage in banking, education and trainings.

The conference, which had in attendance traditional rulers, which include Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu; Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi; Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe; and Oba Oladipupo James Kolade of Ipoti-Ekiti Kingdom among others, also featured exhibition among banks and other financial institutions.

Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, said that bankers should use the opportunity of the conference to promote interest of banking and finance in Nigeria and see what can be done to train banking and finance graduates.

He also suggested that banks should loan graduates N1 million after their National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) to enable them start their own business.