By Henry Akubuiro
The unveiling, on Monday, of the Certificate in Deposit Protection and Financial Intelligence (CDPFI), a collaborative programme between the International School of Deposit Insurance Studies (ISDIS) and the University of Nigeria Business School (UNNBS), in Abuja, was a landmark occasion that brought together esteemed dignitaries, industry leaders and stakeholders to celebrate the transformative initiative.
The event commenced with opening remarks from key stakeholders, highlighting the programme’s significance in advancing professional education, skill development, and industry standards within the financial services sector. Speakers emphasised how the CDPFI aims to equip financial products consumers, operators, and regulators with critical decision-making skills essential for leading firms in the evolving financial landscape.
A major highlight was the ribbon cutting ceremony, symbolising the commencement of a new era in specialised training and capacity building. Attendees engaged in insightful discussions about the programme’s expected impact, its role in shaping the future workforce, and the opportunities it presents for professionals seeking to advance their careers. The unveiling also featured a detailed presentation on the programme’s structure, admission process, and curriculum. The CDPFI offers two levels – Basic and Advanced – taught by highly-rated faculty from UNNBS and ISDIS, who are experts in financial safety-net.
The Basic Certificate provides a strong foundation in financial safety nets, financial services industry and risk management, making it ideal for students, practitioners, and individuals seeking sound financial insights. The Advanced Certificate builds upon the foundation, delving deeper into specialised areas to further enhance professional competence.
A renowned professor of banking and finance, and director of the University of Nigeria Business School, Prof Josaphat Onwumere, at the event, called for increased certification for financial services industry professionals to curtail the rising incidents of operational risks in the industry. Prof Onwumere stated that the financial system was facing great risk as a result of increase in fraud and other financial related infractions. He noted that one of the ways to guarantee the safety of depositor’s funds and win the confidence of the banking public was by strengthening their deposit protection through building critical skills.
The financial system, he said, was dynamic with new innovations and trends, which called for constant training to enhance the capacity of bank professionals in dealing with the issues, he therefore applauded the collaborative, innovative certification programme, a product of its partnership with the International School of Deposit Insurance Studies (ISDIS), and invited professionals in the financial services industry and students in tertiary educational institutions globally to avail the unique opportunity to position themselves for enhanced career.
Speaking on the introduction of certificate programme on Deposit Protection and Financial Intelligence, as well as Executive Master’s in Financial Services (EMFS), he stated that it fell within the core competence of the university. According to him, the University of Nigeria Business School, as a globally recognised reputable institution, is adequately equipped to play key role in the financial services industry by contributing in the training and development of requisite manpower.
While officially unveiling the FSI Certification Programme, Mr Adedeji Adesemoye, a former Director and Head, Analytics, Projects and Special Examination, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN, noted that the innovative ISDIS and UNNBS Certificate in Deposit Protection and Financial Intelligence (CDPFI) and the Executive Master’s in Financial Services (EMFS) were designed to fill the gap in financial safety-net education and professional certification for skilled-based occupations in the financial services industry across the globe.
Speaking in the same vein, Prof Chuka Ifediora, the Coordinator of UNN Business School consultancy services, described the partnership between the institution and International School of Deposit Insurance Studies as a commendable initiative aimed a providing world class training on Deposit Protection and Financial Intelligence. He maintained that the courses were tailored to meet specific industry need, stressing that the training would impact positively on the professional career of professionals and students all over the world given its unique design as an online course.
Dr. Azubike Okoro, ISDIS registrar/chief executive, noted that UNN Business School and ISDIS were poised to address dearth of curricula for professional skill development at a global level by providing a robust platform for stakeholders to acquire financial services industry skills. Dr. Okoro emphasised the ongoing challenges faced by financial institutions globally due to the dynamic nature of their operations, highlighting a lack of institutional framework for critical manpower required to address their unique challenges.
“The Certificate in Deposit Protection and Financial Intelligence (CDFPI) and Executive Masters in Financial Services (EMFS) are innovative solutions designed to help leaders and managers tackle operational risk challenges using a human resource-based approach,” he said. According to Professor Uche Uwaleke of Nasarawa State University and the Capital Market Institute, the collaboration ISDIS established with the UNN Business School offered employees, practitioners, and students the opportunity to obtain basic and advanced professional certificates, as well as postgraduate degrees in the critical financial services industry roles.
Mr. Amu Ogbeide, Dean of Technology at ISDIS, mentioned that the partnership would attract participation from banks, insurance companies, and other stakeholders in the fsi space while Dr Joshua Etopidiok, Dean, Advisory explained that the programmes would provide structured learning pathways for professionals seeking to enhance their financial risk management, compliance, and deposit protection expertise.
In their goodwill messages at the unveiling event, Lady Beatrice Oji, Fellow of the Charted Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria and Prof Shehu Abdulkadir, former chief executive, Abuja Enterprise Agency, highlighted the rapid transformation in the global financial sector and its implications for ongoing skilling of the workforce and collaboration between universities and professionals for quality manpower to meet the needs of today’s dynamic financial ecosystem, respectively.
The programme operates on a rolling admission basis, with classes starting quarterly, allowing for four cohorts per year. Each cohort runs for twelve weeks, and is conducted entirely online, featuring an in-built ‘residency’ component designed to foster faculty-student interaction before graduation. This flexible structure ensures that participants can balance their professional commitments while advancing their education.
The event concluded with networking sessions, fostering collaboration among participants and reinforcing the shared commitment to professional growth and excellence. Overall, the unveiling of the CDPFI program marks a significant step forward in empowering professionals within the financial services industry, providing them with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in a dynamic and complex environment.
In his vote of thanks, Dr Kingsley Nwaigwe appreciated the presence of several stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, which lucidly pointed to the aim of the UNNBS-ISDIS partnership in designing a broad-based curricula that would deal with myriad of challenges plaguing the economy. He described the ISDIS-UNNBS partnership as the first of its kind and a game-changer for financial education at global level. ISDIS Dean, Academics, Mrs Seyi Onosanya, informed the esteemed audience that admission processing for the certificate courses is open while classes would commence in April.
Admission into the professional master’s course will be made available soon, and all those who graced the unveiling ceremony have been pre-qualified for special discount, which individuals and organisations could access for the pioneer cohort of the certificate courses.