FCMB Restates Commitment to Deepen Capacity, Tasks the Media on Creative Thinking

Journalists in Nigeria must adopt creative thinking and innovative skills in order to meet the demands of today’s fast-pace age to effectively discharge their responsibilities. They have been urged to always ensure due diligence and uphold the ethics of the media profession in line with global best practices. These are on account of the importance and influence of the media on the society.

The Chief Executive of Corporate Shepherds Limited, Mr. Idorenyen Enang, made the call at a media parley organised by First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited for financial journalists in Lagos on October 18, 2016. The interactive forum, attended by correspondents covering the money and capital markets in addition to other spheres, is part of the Bank’s initiatives to further promote excellence, build capacity of media practitioners, spur ideas, deepen relationships and appreciate their role in the dissemination of quality and balanced communication within the country and beyond.

Speaking on the topic, ‘’Raising the Bar’’, Mr. Enang, who was the guest speaker, stated that considering the ongoing challenges and reforms in the country, a lot is expected from the media, especially financial journalists, in terms of creative thinking, analysing facts and bringing innovation to bear. According to him, “it is imperative for media practitioners to re-create a mental shift and a transformational mindset that will boost their growth from being ‘just correspondents’ to agenda setters and solution providers’’.

Mr. Enang, a former Managing Director of Samsung Nigeria and Marketing Director of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, added that, ‘’it is important to emphasise that boosting creative and innovative abilities takes attentive practice. Creativity is the development of ideas; innovation is the execution of those ideas. So, we cannot be innovative without first learning how to think creatively. Recognizing and honing one’s creative potential is a process’’.  He therefore admonished media practitioners to expand the frontiers of their knowledge base by adopting practices that would enable them reinvent themselves and the entire media industry in order to contribute significantly to national development.

The guest speaker pointed out that financial journalism is a critical segment that requires in-depth knowledge and understanding of the dynamics of socio-economic issues and the environment; hence journalists in this area need to think outside the square by being more creative in their thinking, innovative and objective in writing and reporting and analytical in reviews to avoid misinformation and ambiguity.

In his comment, the Group Head, Corporate Affairs of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mr. Diran Olojo, restated the Bank’s commitment to continually engage and impact on the media and other stakeholders in a sustainable manner. According to him, ‘’given the importance of the media, especially financial journalists, this session presents a platform to empower the fourth estate of the realm, highlighting their role as key influencers, and arming them with the requisite knowledge that promotes values of professionalism and ethics. As a financial institution, FCMB is driven by the culture of excellence. We believe that our success as an organisation is hinged on our ability to ensure the long term success of all our stakeholders. We need the full support of the media to actualize this objective.  On our part, we will continue to provide constant support for the media in their drive to practise and uphold ethical journalism at all times and in all situations’’.

Mr. Olojo told the gathering that FCMB has continued to deliver cutting edge solutions that provide the best customer experience. He added that the Bank is resilient and focused on sustaining the momentum of its leading retail presence, while supporting customers and sectors that will drive the prosperity of the markets in which it operates and Nigeria in general going by its status as an inclusive lender.

FCMB has continued to transform itself from being one of Nigeria’s leading investment banks to one of the fastest growing retail banks. The financial institution has branches and alternate channels all over Nigeria. This year, the Bank has acquired an average of 53,000 new customers’ monthly and has continued to maintain this steady acquisition momentum.

Over the years, FCMB has organised series of initiatives to boost the skills and capacity of the media. Among others, the Bank in 2015 hosted journalists in the new media sphere to a parley under the theme, ‘’Stimulating Responsible New Media Journalism: A Pathway to International Recognition’’, which had a globally acclaimed journalist, Mr. Inigo Gilimore, as the facilitator, among other seasoned professionals. In 2014, the Bank organized a similar initiative with the theme, “Sustainable Banking in Nigeria: The Role of the Media”. It had the Managing Director of UK-based Sustainable Finance Advisory Limited, Carey Bohjanen, as guest speaker.

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) is a member of FCMB Group Plc, which is one of the leading financial services institutions in Nigeria with subsidiaries that are market leaders in their respective segments. Having successfully transformed to a retail and commercial banking-led group, FCMB expects to continue to distinguish itself by delivering exceptional services, while enhancing the growth and achievement of the personal and business aspirations of its customers.