Visa made the dreams of five Nigerian children come true when they led some of the world’s best football players onto the pitch at Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo during the 2019 Total Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final match between Tunisia and Madagascar. Visa, the world’s leader in digital payments and official sponsor of the prestigious tournament, gave the lucky children the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be player escorts, as part of its Unstoppable Stories campaign, which was launched earlier this year.
The player escorts, who were also treated to a three-day trip to the capital city, were Tijani Ibrahim,10 years old, from Lagos State, Basil Okpara, nine, from Imo State; Osidele Elijah, from Ogun State; Adebayo Oluwaseun, nine years old, and Olubowale Oluwanifemi, 10 years old, both from Lagos State. The children were identified through Visa’s Unstoppable Stories campaign for the 2019 Total Africa Cup of Nations, which called on children to share their stories and inspirations of what makes them or their heroes unstoppable.
Commenting on the occasion, Kemi Okusanya, Visa’s country manager for Nigeria, said, “Visa is a long-standing supporter of football and we are proud to be leveraging our sponsorship of the 2019 Total Africa Cup of Nations in such a positive way. It was heart-warming to witness the joy of the player escorts as they led the players into the stadium. The special moment marked the culmination of weeks of preparation since the Unstoppable Stories campaign was launched. Congratulations to each of the player escorts who represented Nigeria with honour in front of a global audience and to everyone who contributed to the success of the inspirational campaign.”
Speaking after the match, Basil Okpara Jnr., one of the five player escorts from Nigeria, said, “Travelling to Cairo and being a player escort was a huge honour and an incredible experience. Leading the football players into the stadium in front of a cheering crowd was a memory that I will treasure forever and I would like to thank Visa for making it possible.”
Kehinde Osidele, mother of Osidele Elijah, added, “I was extremely proud to watch my son escort the players onto the pitch at the 2019 Total Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric and it was a moment I will cherish forever. Thank you to Visa for making my son’s dream come true.”
Through Visa’s sponsorship of the player escort programme for the 2019 Total Africa Cup of Nations tournament, more than 1,100 children from around the world have been given the opportunity to lead out their football heroes as they take to the field during the football tournament.
Visa’s sponsorship of the 2019 Total Africa Cup of Nations tournament in 2019 and 2021, makes Visa the exclusive or preferred payment services provider at all venues and the official partner of the player escort program. With the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the organiser of the tournament, Visa is able to capitalise on football’s popularity throughout the continent, tap into high-growth markets and continue to deliver exclusive benefits to its local communities, clients, partners and fans as they come together to support the best of African football.
Access Bank clinches Karlsruhe Sustainable Finance Award
•‘We have a corporate strategy and philosophy, which places sustainability at its core’
One of Africa’s leading financial institutions, Access Bank, has emerged winner of the 2019 Karlsruhe Sustainable Finance Awards for ‘Outstanding Business Sustainability Achievement’ at a ceremony held on Thursday at the City Hall, Karlsruhe, Germany.
The prestigious award, which the bank is taking home for the fourth consecutive time, was presented to its GMD/CEO, Herbert Wigwe, with top brand managers, executives, CEOs of leading global financial institutions, top German government officials, policy makers, regulators and key sustainability stakeholders in attendance.
The award is in recognition of Access Bank’s unwavering commitment towards embedding social, environmental and economic sustainability into its core business strategy which helps to address issues across its business operations and value chain.
The Global Sustainable Finance Awards celebrate financial institutions, related organisations and top executives making significant contributions to the field of sustainable banking and finance, while also aiming to promote the growth of sustainable financial instruments and markets globally, particularly with a focus on green finance and investments; financial inclusion and social finance; green equity and venture capital, including the holistic integration of sustainability among financial institutions.
At the event, Wigwe explained that “the global finance sector plays a major role in the economy, as they provide huge amounts of capital and have the ability to influence other companies and customers across sectors through their products and services. Many banks are now placing a great deal of emphasis on driving sustainability as well as digitizing core business processes and reassessing organizational structures to be better prepared for the future of banking. This transformation illustrates the increasing desire to become a sustainable and digital bank.
“Access Bank has a corporate strategy and philosophy which places sustainability at its core. Together with our commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Access Bank recently launched a five-year tenured, fixed rate green bond worth N15 billion which is the 1st Climate Bonds Initiative Certified corporate green bond in Africa.”
Access Bank remains committed to setting standards for sustainable business practices by adopting innovative solutions to build a desirable future. It continues to make positive contributions to people and the planet, paving the way for its own longevity and continued profitability, while also making the case for sustainability to businesses worldwide.
FirstBank out with Visa multi-currency card
Firstbank of Nigeria Limited, one of Nigeria’s premier and leading financial services providers, has introduced the Visa Multi Currency Card, an All-in One-Card and first of its kind to be offered by any financial institution in Nigeria. The card can be linked to all of four currencies namely: naira, US dollar, Euro and GBP accounts.
With the Visa Multi-Currency card, FirstBank customers, within and outside Nigeria, can enjoy the luxury of having their local and foreign denominated accounts in any currency, linked to a single debit card. The Visa Multi-Currency Card is designed to ease the daily cashless transactional needs of customers, regardless of where they are across the world.
Among the many benefits of the card are point of sale and online purchases, access to and use of ATMs worldwide. There is no cash collateral requirement prior to its issuance.
Speaking on the card launch, Mr. Chuma Ezirim, group executive, e-Business and Retail Products, said, “FirstBank takes pride in pioneering the Visa Multi-Currency Card in the country, as we remain committed to providing products and services that are designed to ensure the banking convenience of our customers regardless of their location.
“This card is designed to make travelling fun for our customers and ensure they have a seamless transaction experience during their vacation, tourism and other business-related trips around the globe.”
Travelling abroad for summer? Walk into any FirstBank branch today for your Visa Multi-Currency Card.