• Commissions 160-capacity auditorium in NAU
Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has restated that education is the cornerstone upon which society is built, which adds value to life.
President/Chairman of Council, Dr. Ken Opara, warned that any society that was not investing in education, particularly of the young generation, “is dying gradually.”
Opara stated this yesterday at the commissioning of CIBN Bankers’ Hall (a CIBN legacy project) in the Department of Banking and Finance, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), also known as UNIZIK, Awka, Anambra State.
He described the hall as a centre of excellence with 160-seater lecture theatre, fully furnished and equipped with modern facilities to advance teaching and learning In the institution.
According to him, the journey started on April 3, 2023 when the council visited for the groundbreaking ceremony, where it promised that the project would be completed in record time.
He said: “Today, we stand here in gratitude to God for giving us the grace to be alive to witness the commissioning of this beautiful edifice. It stands as an emblem of the institute’s unwavering dedication to scholarship and empowerment of the next generation.”
“We believe that education is the cornerstone upon which societal progress is built, and the establishment of CIBN Bankers’ Hall is an eloquent testimony of our commitment to this ideal.”
CIBN, he explained, aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice, academia and industry, thereby providing a world-class learning environment.
“It will serve as a hub for innovation, research and the melting pot for training and development of future-ready banking and finance professionals.
“Notably, this endowment strongly promotes the industry’s growth by adapting to the evolving needs of the next generation, thereby establishing a robust foundation for the future of banking and financial services industry,” Opara noted.
He revealed that the hall is the eighth legacy building to be commissioned by the Institute. Similar projects are at the Polytechnic Ibadan (South West), Oyo State; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi State (North East) and Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Imo State (South East), among others.
Vice Chancellor of UNIZIK, Prof. Charles Esimone, hailed the CIBN for the intervention, which would improve the students’ and lecturers’ performances.
He charged the students to see the future as beginning today, and urged them to start working seriously now, adding: “CIBN hall serves as the centre to equip your (students’) intellectual and psychological frame to prepare you for tomorrow.”
The Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences, Prof. Pius Okoye, described the lecture hall as a legacy project to improve the input of lecturers and performance of the students.
