ISDIS, in conjunction with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Business School (UNNBS), is on the cusp of history as the first Nigerian institution to run a Certificate in Deposit Protection and Financial Intelligence (CDPFI).
Dr. Azubike Okoro, a former director and pioneer chief learning officer of NDIC Academy, said, in the run up to the unveiling of a professional course targeted at the financial services industry, that financial system which has reinforced the need for innovative ideas in the development, management and utilisation of human resource available to the industry.
A a learning and development specialist, and fellow, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, Okoro said the inefficiency of the financial safety-net institutions portended dire consequences for growth, soundness and stability of any economy, lamenting that their unique historical and development trajectory impacted the development and availability of critical skills for pursuit of their mandates unequally.
The emerging professional certificate course is designed to provide graduates with foundational knowledge on the financial safety-net institutions, and it is open to operators and regulators of banks, students of tertiary institutions, deposit protection practitioners, employees in the financial services space and interested members of the public, who require sound financial insights to manage daily activities.
The programme has two levels – Basic and Advanced – and they are taught by highly-rated faculty of UNNBS and ISDIS, who are experts in financial safety-net. Dr. Omoro said admission was on a rolling basis, and classes would run four times each year. With a very competitive and affordable fee structure, students graduate with exceptional insights to succeed in careers and entrepreneurships.
Dr Okoro, the registrar and chief executive of ISDIS, also noted that the certification programme, the first of its kind in Nigeria, was conceived and developed by former bank regulators and supervisors in Nigeria, operators in the financial services industry, academia and IT experts, including adjunct faculties from other jurisdictions who saw the yawning manpower gap in the critical sector of the economy and the urgent need to bridge it on a global scale.
Lending his voice, another director of ISDIS and Dean, Advisory, Dr Joshua James Etopidiok, commended the management of UNN Business School for embracing the idea of partnership with ISDIS to establish a world-class programme for training professionals to meet the needs of financial services industry players. The choice of UNN Business School for the collaborative programme, he said, was informed by its globally acclaimed reputation as a centre of academic and professional excellence.
The Dean, Research, Dr Kingsley Nwaigwe, expressed optimism that the programme, expected to commence in March, would add immense value to the financial system locally and overseas. He assured that the quality of certificate to be issued would rank satisfactorily with related credentials and it would be in conformity with global standard.
Speaking in the same vein, the Dean, Technology, Mr. Amu Ogbeide, said the programme would avail students with in-depth knowledge on financial safety-net through an interactive and blended learning processes in collaboration with local and international partners and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). The management team of ISDIS is led by vibrant professionals, including Dr AzubikeOkoro (Registrar/CE), Mr Amu Ogbeide (Dean, Technology), Dr. Joshua J Etopidiok (Dean, Advisory), Mrs SeyiOnosanya (Dean, Academics/Business), Dr Kingsley O. Nwaigwe (Dean, Research) and Eberechi Okereke (Dean, Corporate Development).
Its partner, the UNN Business School is a graduate business school owned by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, governed by a board chaired by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria. Its operations are overseen by the Director, Professor Josaphat U.J. Onwumere. Amongst other principal officers working with the director are Prof Chuka U. Ifediora, Coordinator, Certificate Programmes, Prof Ifeoma C. Nwakoby, Coordinator, Executive Master’s Programmes and Rev.Fr. Ass. Prof. Anthony Igwe, Coordinator, Executive Doctoral Programmes.
The novel course is set to be unveiled on Monday, March 3, 2025, and it would provide broad-based professional training, a necessity for stability and soundness of any financial system. Sources quoting the Head of Administration and Secretary of the Business School, Gideon Ezeji Esq, said every necessary arrangement had been made to ensure the smooth take-off of the programme, leading to a world-class programme that would make a huge impact in the global financial system.
UNNBS revealed that the curricula had been developed with the view of meeting the peculiar human capacity needs of the financial services industry. It took about two years to craft the curricula, which passed through rigorous individual and organisation-based assessment, reviews and validation processes, including blind review of test instruments, to meet required professional and international standards and best practices.
The registration portal for the programme will be open from Monday, March 3, 2025. It can be accessed from either the UNN Business School or ISDIS platform, reducing the task of travelling to Nsukka to register.