The new leadership of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has unveiled a six-pillar strategic framework under the IMPACT agenda to propel the institute during its 2026–2028 mandate.

The framework was unveiled during the investiture of Dr Dele Alabi as the institute’s 24th President and Chairman of the Council over the weekend.

Anchored on the theme ‘Consolidating our Local Impact, Enhancing our Global Relevance,’ Alabi said the IMPACT Agenda represents nothing less than a declaration of institutional ambition, with each letter of its acronym mapping out a strategic frontier.

“‘I’ stands for inclusion, ‘M’ for membership economy, ‘P’ for professionalism and ethical conduct, ‘A’ for accountability and enhanced financial performance, ‘C’ for competencies and skills development and ‘T’ for technology, automation and innovation.

For inclusion, Alabi said the institute will deploy community-based financial literacy clinics, convene a structured Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) forum, partner with the Association of Professional Women Bankers for a women empowerment summit, and deepen ecosystem engagement with regulators.

He said the membership economy pillar will target a ‘Catch Them Young’ youth pipeline, activation of the Young Bankers Network, establishment of foreign outposts, and the reactivation of dormant memberships.

Professionalism and ethical conduct would be institutionalised through a yearly ethics summit, strengthened certification frameworks, and specialised seminars for judges and legislators.

According to him, accountability and enhanced financial performance demand transparent governance, prudent resource management, cost discipline, and revenue-based diversification.

Alabi noted that the competencies and skills development pillar mandates a comprehensive curriculum review aligned with global best practices, expansion of specialised certifications, and a fortified compulsory continuous professional development framework.

He stressed that the technology, automation and innovation pillar signals the CIBN’s digital ambitions, including the creation of a digital library, the transformation of the learning centre into a digital learning resource centre and an innovation hub, and the institution of an award for technological innovation and excellence.

He added that the investiture stands as a defining moment, a seamless weaving of royal patronage, governmental recognition, regulatory solidarity, and corporate might, all unified beneath the banner of the IMPACT Agenda.

Among the dignitaries who graced the occasion is the Ooni of Ife, Enitan Ogunwusi, who affirmed the CIBN’s indispensable role in nation-building.

Surveying the financial landscape with prescient foresight, he noted the sector’s robust recapitalisation and the capital market’s self-correction over the past eighteen months.