ACAMB eyes AI, digital media for next 30 years

The Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks has outlined plans to deepen its focus on artificial intelligence, data analytics, and digital media as it positions for the next 30 years of shaping narratives and driving strategic growth across Nigeria’s financial sector.

Speaking at the association’s 30th anniversary gala night in Lagos, ACAMB President, Jide Sipe, disclosed that while communication tools have evolved significantly since the group’s inception in 1996, the commitment to capacity building, youth mentorship, and maintaining institutional credibility remains central to its future trajectory.

The event brought together senior officials from the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System, United Bank for Africa, Optimus Bank, and corporate communications executives from financial institutions across the country.

Highlighting the journey of the body over the past three decades, Sipe noted that members have played a crucial role in safeguarding institutional reputations and facilitating public engagement under high-pressure conditions.

“For 30 years, our members have stood between the banks and the public they serve. They explain policy, manage crises and protect reputations, often under intense pressure and in real time,” Sipe said.

He added, “We have remained consistent, from gatekeepers to strategic drivers in actualising growth, positive brand perception, aligning business values to customer needs, customer satisfaction and loyalty.”

He maintained that all these have, to a great extent, catalysed the growth trajectory of the financial sector, a feat worthy of celebration. “Though the tools have changed since 1996, the mandate remains the same. We continue to earn trust, one credible message at a time, and we will guard it with the same discipline for the next 30 years and beyond,” he stated.

Delivering his opening address, Chairman of the occasion and 24th President of CIBN, Dele Alabi, described ACAMB’s 30-year milestone as a testament to perseverance and professionalism that has left a lasting impact on the banking industry.

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Commending Sipe’s leadership and recalling their shared tenure at Ecobank Group, Alabi emphasised the group’s pivotal role in elevating institutional trust. “Thirty years of shaping narratives and building trust reflects ACAMB’s critical role in strengthening communication, enhancing reputation and fostering trust across the financial services industry,” he said.

He further urged practitioners to adopt technological innovations without compromising ethical standards, aligning with CIBN’s IMPACT agenda centred on inclusion, membership, professionalism, accountability, competence, and technology.

Representing the Deputy Governor of the CBN, Philip Ikeazor, the Acting Director of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations, Hakama Sidi Ali, noted that the banking system is transitioning from a period of stabilisation toward comprehensive institutional transformation. She challenged practitioners to prioritise clear communication and recognise customers as the ultimate gauge of messaging effectiveness. “The credibility you carry into a crisis is built in quiet periods,” she remarked.

In his keynote address, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NIBSS, Premier Oiwoh, noted that the rapid expansion of digital and mobile banking makes public confidence the cornerstone of financial ecosystem sustainability. Reflecting on NIBSS establishing Africa’s first mature instant payment infrastructure 15 years ago, he emphasised that trust remains an indispensable foundation for industry expansion. “Banking is all about trust. Without trust, banking cannot stand,” Oiwoh noted.

Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Group Managing Director and CEO of UBA, Oliver Alawuba, the bank’s Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, Alero Ladipo, applauded ACAMB for fostering collaboration across competing brands.

“Thirty years is more than a milestone. It is evidence of relevance, resilience and the ability to evolve,” Ladipo said. She added that while market forces create competition, practitioners share a joint responsibility to uphold public confidence in the banking sector. “Competition may separate us in the market, but there are moments when the industry must speak with a shared sense of responsibility,” she stressed.

Managing Director and CEO of Optimus Bank, Ademola Odeyemi, also commended ACAMB for its significant contributions and clear articulation of a shared industry vision that has allowed the financial sector to thrive. The anniversary celebration concluded with networking sessions and special recognitions for corporate communication leaders who have contributed to the growth of financial sector communication in Nigeria over the last three decades.