Deposit Money Banks (DMB) in the country have been charged to map out strategies that will help the country recover from it’s economic woes.
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, gave the charge at the 12th annual Bankers Committee held in Lagos with the theme ‘Building Resilience for Economic Growth’.
He said that the retreat was an opportunity to conceptualise long-term plans for improved access to finance and reiterated the need for leaders to confront the new strains of the COVID19 pandemic.
“We see different countries adopt measures to protect their own, and in the midst of this, we as Nigerians, we that God has placed in our hands the leadership of this banking industry, we must gird our loins and stand strong to see that we do those things that will aid the recovery of our country.
“We must aim for not only a fast, balanced, and sustainable recovery, but also ensure that through improved access to finance, the fundamentals of our economy are strengthened,” Emefiele said.
The CBN governor called on the banking sector leadership to enhance cooperation, stressing that despite the admittedly difficult times, no challenge was insurmountable for the determined, the cooperative, and the persistent.
Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in a remark, urged the banking sector to focus on the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) for improved sustainable growth.
“The best strategy to prepare for future jobs and achieve sustainable growth and development is for us to pursue a very effective economic diversification in what we see as Small and Medium Enterprises,” the governor said.
“The pandemic has provided us an opportunity to focus our attention on critical sectors of the economy – agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing etc, which will help us to grow our GDP,” he added.
