A Welcome Address by the National Coordinator of APBE at Its First Int’l Annual Conference in Ado Ekiti

A WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE NATIONAL COORDINATOR THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL BANKERS IN EDUCATION (APBE)

PROF. DEJI OLANREWAJU

AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL CONFERENCE,

HELD ON

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23^rd, 2017,

AT AFE BABALOLA UNIVERSITY (ABUAD), ADO – EKITI.

PROTOCOLS

• CIBN PRESIDENT
• OFFICE HOLDERS
• PAST PRESIDENTS
• CIBN REGISTRAR
• FOUNDER OF ABUAD
• ABUAD MANAGEMENT, ETC.

It gives me a great pleasure and it is with great delight that I warmly welcome you all to the 1^st APBE Conference and inauguration. It is gratifying that you are part of this epoch-making occasion. The theme of this conference. “STRATEGIC APPROACH TO MANAGEMENT OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA” is to provide an enviable platform for a robust and effective intellectual development in the Nigerian banking system. Education is the backbone of every civilization. It is through education that intellectual illumination has come into the world. As rightly opined by Aristotle, it is even a defense in the time of adversity and a catalyst that accelerates rapid and sustainable socio-economic development of a country. It is my conviction that the aftermath of this conference is going to have a positive impact and open a new vista of life in the Nigerian banking system and all the participants.

BRIEF HISTORY AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL BANKERS IN EDUCATION (APBE)

The idea to form the association was put together in 2013 by members of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in the education sector during the Annual General Meeting of the Institute.

OBJECTIVES:

The main purpose of this association is to promote the objectives of the CIBN. The APBE will attempt to achieve this by providing rigorous academic support for all the activities of the Institute particularly through those of Capacity Building and Certification Directorate. This is important today and even more important tomorrow because no profession, industry or society can survive, develop and thrive, without rigorous academic thinking, debates and discussions.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

1.)     To promote broadly and notably the objectives and core values of the Institute

2.)     To provide rigorous academic and intellectual input and support for all the activities of the institute, particularly through the work of the Capacity Building and Certification Committee (CBCC) and all the Units engaged in research and publication activities in the Institute.

3.)     To promote and provide a platform for networking amongst its members to enhance their academic and intellectual growth and development and consequently lift the image of the institute.

4.)     To organize conferences, workshops, seminars, and similar fora to provoke critical thinking, problem-solving, skills development, and creativity among members and contribute to professional banking practice and knowledge in Nigeria, Africa and worldwide through the publication of an academic journal.

5.)     To foster an institutional and instructional environment within the Institute where a free exchange of ideas is prized

6.)     To promote the maintenance of the highest level of the norms, ethics, and tradition of scholarship in research and publication.

7.)     To promote and project the highest standards in banking professional competence, practice and behavior

There is no gainsaying that our revered Institute (CIBN) has evolved over the decades to become unrivaled in professionalism, ethics and leadership development. This is both in originality and creativity, thus keeping faith with the golden ideals of our founding fathers. As rightly opined by Azikiwe, “originality is the essence of true scholarship. Creativity is the soul of a true scholar”.

Let me congratulate our amiable president, the astute Professor, and his team (i.e., Office Holders and Management) for making this Association a reality and on their concerted efforts in making capacity building in the realm of subliminal excellence with uncompromising consistency and intensity. By this no mean feats, you have all carved your names in gold for posterity and in the annals of the history of CIBN. This is in tandem with the celebrated words of Paulo Coelho “the reward of our work is not what we get, but what we become”.

The Nigerian banking industry awaits very fruitful outcome from this discourse. We have for too long wallowed in the wilderness of distress, retrogression, and stagnation as an industry. It is time to move on and inch closer to our promised land. This demands our collective efforts and we, as educators of banking and finance are expected to be in the forefront of the vanguard. May I at this junction express our profound gratitude to our sponsors, AfeBabalola University, First Registrar and Investor Services Ltd. and our great Institute, CIBN.

Without any shadow of doubt, it is my well-considered opinion that this Conference will rise with resolutions that would usher in far-reaching reforms that will rejuvenate the Nigerian banking System, impact policy-making decisions and ensure the accelerated development of our nation.

Thanks for your rapt attention.

Prof. DejiOlanrewaju, LLB, LLM, Ph.D, BL, BA, MSC, FCIB, FIMA, FCMR, FERP

Professor of Banking Law

Provost / Dean School of Law

Babcock University

Ilishan Remo, Ogun State.