By Adaobi Enekwa
Most proficient bank in Nigeriax
Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, a member of Standard Bank Group, has reaffirmed its exemplary role in promoting the tenets of gender balance in the country. The leading end-to-end financial solutions provider has emerged top of the list of Nigerian banks with the highest female representation on its board of directors.
According to the Q1 2020 unaudited report on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC’s board of directors consists of 10 members. Among the 10 members are four female Non-Executive Directors, which represents 40% of the members. This is currently the highest when compared to other banks in Nigeria.
The four female Non-Executive Directors are Ifeoma Esiri, Ngozi Edozien, Nkemdilim Cay Uwaje, and Salamatu Suleiman. The board is led by Basil Omiyi, a Non-Executive Chairman.
Yinka Sanni, Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, described the feat as a confirmation of the organisation’s commitment to continue to lead the advocacy and amplification of gender balance at every level in the banking sector, and indeed the country at large.
He said: “It is underpinned by our core values as an organisation to have gender balance. Apart from our board composition, we currently have about 43% females in our workforce. This is because we recognize that gender balance is vital to achieving sustainable development. It is our collective responsibility to build a world devoid of a gender gap, if we must make remarkable progress.”
He reiterated that Stanbic IBTC has been consistent in building gender diversity management. “In 2016, three out of the seven members of our board of directors were females. That is about 43%. To us at Stanbic IBTC, gender balance is a human aspiration and our decisions to give opportunities are always devoid of gender-related stereotypes.,” he added.
Sanni noted that the organization will not relent in its efforts to create healthy communities and accessible platforms, where there are no discrepancies in status, opportunities, and attitudes between people of different genders.
