The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, has stressed the need for effective collaboration between regulators and operators in the banking system.  Umaru Ibrahim, managing director, NDIC, said the collaboration would engender sound ethics and professionalism in the banking industry.

Ibrahim made the call during a courtesy visit by the executive members of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, led by Uche Olowu, president and chairman of council. The NDIC boss lamented that instances of abuse of extant regulations and ethical standards had impacted negatively on the confidence in the banking industry and the entire financial system in general.

He cited the recent involvement of some Deposit Money Banks in illegal forex transfers as a wake-up call for better corporate governance and ethical behaviour by the banks. He assured the CIBN president of his resolve to strengthen collaboration with the institute in the enforcement of good corporate governance among banks as well as the promotion of high ethical standards and professionalism.

Ibrahim stressed that it was the primary responsibility of regulators to ensure strict compliance with international best practices and ethical standards in order to promote effective risk management and sound corporate governance in the banking industry. This was in line with the corporation’s drive towards protecting depositors and enhancing public confidence in the financial system, he stated.

According to the statement, Uche Olowu, president and chairman of council, attested to the recognition of the NDIC Academy by the International Association of Deposit Insurers as a world-class institution in providing capacity building for the banking industry. He said this recognition and the CIBN’s active collaboration with the corporation to entrench ethical standards was a key driver towards effective service delivery in the industry.

He therefore emphasised the need to extend the collaborative efforts to joint research and knowledge-based events to enhance public awareness about the role of deposit insurance in financial system stability.

In the statement, Olowu said the active participation of the corporation in the activities of the council as well as its role in the nation’s economic development informed the council’s visit to formally invite the NDIC managing director as a special guest and resource person at the CIBN’s 11th annual banking and finance conference.

– Sept. 14, 2018 @ 14:26 GMT |