By Our Reporter
Guaranty Trust Bank Plc has been awarded the Euromoney Excellence in Leadership Africa Award, a premier award category set up to recognize banks around the world who are playing a pivotal role during the Covid-19 pandemic. The foremost African financial institution, which was also named Nigeria’s Best Bank for a record 10th time, was lauded for its swift reaction in responding to the Covid-19 crisis and for addressing the impact of the pandemic on its customers and communities.
Announcing GTBank’s Excellence in Leadership Award, Euromoney said, “One of the first things Nigeria’s Guaranty Trust Bank did with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic was to get in touch with local authorities to see how the bank could help. Recognizing that the pandemic would stretch the public healthcare system, the Bank partnered with local authorities to set up a care facility for people with Covid-19.
“GTBank also granted small and medium-sized enterprises a grace period of 90 days [which has since been extended by a further 3 months] on all loan payments. It is also developing other resources to help SMEs better understand and navigate the impact of the pandemic,” the magazine added.
Whilst being lauded for its exemplary leadership during a global crisis, GTBank is also receiving accolades for its digital drive to radically expand access to financial services and consistency in delivering the best performance across key financial indices. Key to the bank’s emergence as Nigeria’s Best Bank at the Euromoney Awards is its leading role in driving world class corporate governance standards, excellent service quality and innovation in Africa’s banking industry.
Commenting on the Bank’s Euromoney Awards, Segun Agbaje, Chief Executive Officer of GTBank, said; “We feel very humbled to be awarded the Excellence in Leadership in Africa Award and immensely proud to be named Nigeria’s Best Bank for a record tenth time. These awards reflect what we are all about at GTBank—giving back to society and adding value to people’s lives. They are also testaments to our commitment to always be there for our customers and communities as a beacon of hope, an engine of progress and a platform for enriching lives.”
He further stated that; “As we continue to navigate the fallout of this pandemic, the imperative of our time as an organization remains safeguarding our lives and livelihoods. This means that we will continue to lead from the frontlines by protecting our employees, serving our customers wherever they may be, helping businesses make it through these uncertain times and supporting public authorities in combatting the pandemic.”
GTBank is regarded by industry watchers as one of the best run financial institutions in Africa and serves as a role model within the financial service industry due to its bias for world class corporate governance standards, excellent service quality and innovation. Renowned for its forward-thinking approach to financial services and customer engagement, the Bank was recently ranked Africa’s Most Admired Finance Brand in the 10th-anniversary rankings of Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands, the pre-eminent survey and ranking of the Top 100 admired brands in Africa.
