FOR A THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR, ZENITH BANK MAINTAINS POSITION AS NIGERIA’S BEST COMMERCIAL BANK, ALSO NAMED BEST CORPORATE GOVERNANCE BANK AT WORLD FINANCE 2023 AWARDS

 For a third year running, Zenith Bank Plc has been named the Best Commercial Bank in Nigeria at the World Finance Banking Awards 2023. The bank also emerged as the Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria, in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards 2023, retaining the award for a second consecutive year.

These awards were presented to Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Plc, at the London Stock Exchange recently. The recognitions celebrate the bank's tremendous feats and milestones in financial performance, financial inclusion, corporate governance, and sustainability.

Commenting on the awards, Dr Onyeagwu said that: "these awards are a testament to our resilience and ability to adapt to the vagaries of the market as well as our innate capability to engender very stellar business performances through our innovative products and solutions. It also affirms our continued commitment to global best practices in corporate governance, sustainability and corporate social responsibility." 

Dr Onyeagwu dedicated the awards to the Founder and Group Chairman, Jim Ovia, CFR, thanking him for his mentorship and for establishing the basis for a resilient and highly successful institution. He also expressed gratitude to the board for their exceptional leadership, vision, and insight; to the staff for their unwavering commitment and dedication; and to the bank's customers for making Zenith their preferred bank.

World Finance is a foremost international magazine providing extensive coverage and analysis of the financial industry, international business, and the global economy. Its editorial combines award-winning journalism, covering a vast array of topics from banking and insurance to wealth management and infrastructure investment, with contributions from some of the world's most esteemed economists and theorists and consultants from government think tanks and the World Economic Forum.

Zenith Bank's track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the brand numerous awards, with these latest honours coming on the heels of several recognitions, including being recognised as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital, for the 14th consecutive year, in the 2023 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking published by The Banker Magazine; Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker's Bank of the Year Awards 2020 and 2022; Best Bank in Nigeria, for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, in the Global Finance World's Best Banks Awards; Best in Corporate Governance' Financial Services' Africa, for four successive years from 2020 to 2023, by the Ethical Boardroom; Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria in the International Banker 2023 Banking Awards; Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria and Best Innovation In Retail Banking, Nigeria in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards. 

Also, the bank emerged as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands 2020 and 2021 and Retail Bank of the Year, for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards. Similarly, Zenith Bank was named Bank of the Decade (People's Choice) at the ThisDay Awards 2020, Bank of the Year 2021 by Champion Newspaper, Bank of the Year 2022 by New Telegraph Newspaper, and Most Responsible Organisation in Africa 2021 by SERAS Awards.

PURPLE CRECHE: WEMA BANK REVAMPS ITS CHILD CARE FACILITIES FOR EMPLOYEES

 In line with its continuing policy of upgrading the well-being and welfare of its employees, Wema Bank Plc, Nigeria’s leading innovative financial institution, has announced the re-opening of Purple Crèche for its employees. 

Purple Crèche is an initiative that provides top-tier daycare for the newborn and very young children of Wema Bank staff – the Wema Bank Knights – enabling them attend to their daily schedules. It is a development that further affirms the narrative that Wema Bank is the employer of choice and a great place to work.

Purple Crèche is a daycare and educational facility located within the Wema Bank Head Office and is available to children of Wema Bank staff, aged 3 – 30 months. The crèche had been temporarily closed during Covid. The revamped Purple Creche has now been upgraded with top-notch quality facilities, equipment and human resources, all to provide the staff of Wema Bank with superior standards of care and education for their children. 

The now re-launched Purple Crèche is fully equipped with premium state-of-the-art facilities and a private room for nursing mothers to breastfeed their infants. The staff also comprises a roster of qualified nurses on-site and is managed by trained and experienced, carers who place a premium on the documentation of the children’s activities, in order to keep parents updated on their children’s welfare and progress. The children themselves are taught and educated to develop their cognitive, social, and mental skills, giving them a head-start in life. 

The facility is open every weekday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in alignment with general staff work schedules, thus allowing staff to provide their children with exceptional care in professional hands, without worrying about their safety or well-being.

“Our commitment to improving the lives of our staff and helping them become the best versions of themselves, often have us developing new and improved employee-focused initiatives that positively impact their lives.” explains Ololade Ogungbenro, Wema Bank’s Divisional Head, Brand, People and Culture, “Purple Crèche is one of such initiatives. We observed that members of staff who had just returned from maternity leave had some difficulty adjusting to leaving their newborns at home. We started Purple Creche to bring the children closer to their parents without interrupting productivity on either side; and it was amazing to see parents handle their duties without worrying about their children’s, knowing they’re in the safe hands.  

Regarding the renovation of the crèche, Ogungbenro insists it is in line with Wema’s commitment to excellence. “We maintain a constant review of Purple Creche’s facilities and decided to remodel and upgrade its facilities, improve the quality of Purple Creche staff and create a more homely, advanced and top-class care and learning environment for the children of our staff.” Ogungbenro adds that Purple Crèche is open to all staff of Wema Bank. 

With its re-opening, Purple Crèche is an excellent facility with top-grade infrastructure and a well-trained staff providing children of Wema Bank employees with first-class care and education in a safe, secure and hygienic environment that’s within the immediate reach of their parents, and under the supervision of qualified professionals. 

On her expectations for Purple Crèche, Ogungbenro says “It is about creating a home like environment for our staff most important treasures. When our staff are at peace that their treasures are safe, they can be at their best at work.

 “Purple Crèche promises to be a safe haven for both children and parents to maximize their potential within a secure, nurturing environment. It is our faith that this will ultimately help to produce both intellectually sound and emotionally intelligent children, and highly productive, stress-free parents.”