Banking Communicators Urged to Ensure Trust, Ethics as Sector Transforms

Deborah Ndinorouba Banking communication professionals have been urged to make credibility, clarity, innovation and ethical conduct central to their work as Nigeria’s financial services industry undergoes rapid digital transformation. The call was made at the 30th anniversary celebration of the Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB) in Lagos, where regulators and industry leaders stressed that maintaining public confidence would be critical as banking increasingly moves to digital and mobile platforms. The anniversary gala brought together senior officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), United Bank for Africa (UBA), Optimus Bank and communication and marketing executives from banks across the country. Speaking at the event, President of ACAMB, Jide Sipe, said the association had, over the past three decades, evolved from a body focused largely on corporate communication to a strategic partner in helping banks manage their relationships with customers and the wider public. He said communication professionals had become increasingly important to the banking industry, particularly in explaining policies, managing crises and protecting institutional reputations. “For 30 years, our members have stood between the banks and the public they serve. They explain policy, manage crises and protect reputations, often under intense pressure and in real time,” Sipe said. He added that ACAMB members had moved from being “gatekeepers to strategic drivers” of business growth, positive brand perception and customer loyalty. “We have remained consistent, from gatekeepers to strategic drivers in actualising growth, positive brand perception, aligning business values to customer needs, customer satisfaction and loyalty,” he said. According to him, the contribution of communication professionals had, to a significant extent, supported the growth of the financial services industry. Sipe said the association would continue to strengthen the capacity of its members as the profession evolves, with greater emphasis on artificial intelligence, data, digital media and mentorship for younger professionals. “Though the tools have changed since 1996, but the mandate remains same. We continue to earn trust, one credible message at a time, and we will guard it with the same discipline for the next 30 years and beyond,” he added. Representing the Deputy Governor of the CBN, Philip Ikeazor, Acting Director, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations, Hakama Sidi Ali, said the banking industry was moving beyond stabilisation towards broader institutional transformation. She challenged communication professionals to ensure that the increasing sophistication of financial services did not come at the expense of clear communication with customers. Sidi Ali urged communicators to prioritise clarity over cleverness, stressing that customers should remain the ultimate measure of whether financial institutions have communicated effectively. “The credibility you carry into a crisis is built in quiet periods,” she said. Her remarks underscored the growing importance of communication as banks navigate technological changes, regulatory reforms and increasingly complex financial products. Delivering the keynote address, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NIBSS, Premier Oiwoh, said the rapid growth of digital banking had made trust even more important to the stability and expansion of financial services. Oiwoh noted that NIBSS had built Africa’s first mature instant payment system 15 years ago, adding that the evolution of digital payments had fundamentally changed the way customers interact with financial institutions. With more transactions now taking place through mobile and digital channels, he said confidence in the systems, institutions and messages surrounding financial services had become indispensable. “Banking is all about trust. Without trust, banking cannot stand,” Oiwoh said. Chairman of the occasion and 24th President of CIBN, Dele Alabi, described ACAMB’s 30-year journey as a reflection of perseverance, professionalism and sustained impact on the financial services industry. Alabi, who also recalled his years working with Sipe at Ecobank Group, commended the association for helping to strengthen communication, reputation and trust across the banking sector. “Thirty years of shaping narratives and building trust reflects ACAMB’s critical role in strengthening communication, enhancing reputation and fostering trust across the financial services industry,” he said. He urged communication professionals to embrace new technologies and innovation without compromising ethical standards. Alabi linked the call to CIBN’s IMPACT vision, which focuses on inclusion, membership, professionalism and ethical conduct, accountability, competences and skills, and technology. Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Group Managing Director/CEO of UBA, Oliver Alawuba, the bank’s Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Alero Ladipo, commended ACAMB for sustaining a platform that brings communication professionals together despite competition among financial institutions. “Thirty years is more than a milestone. It is evidence of relevance, resilience and the ability to evolve,” Ladipo said. She said while banks would continue to compete for customers and market share, communication professionals had a collective responsibility to protect confidence in the industry and strengthen public trust in the financial system. “Competition may separate us in the market, but there are moments when the industry must speak with a shared sense of responsibility,” she added. Managing Director/CEO of Optimus Bank, Ademola Odeyemi, also commended ACAMB for its contributions to the banking industry, particularly its role in helping financial institutions articulate their shared vision and communicate more effectively with stakeholders. The 30th anniversary celebration also featured networking sessions and recognition of professionals who have contributed to the development of corporate communication and marketing in Nigeria’s banking industry over the past three decades.