Chronicle Editor
Oliver Kazunga, Senior Business Reporter
PAN African banking group, Ecobank, has contributed about US$3 million to the fight against Covid-19 across its operations on the continent.
In a statement, the financial services group said in line with its commitment to Africa, various contributions were made to support the efforts of governments, the World Health Organisation (WHO) as well as the private sector in alleviating the effects of the pandemic on the most vulnerable on the continent.
“Ecobank has contributed about US$3 million to the fight against Covid-19 across its footprint in Africa.
“With our knowledge of Africa, and to complement various government efforts, we provided support in form of cash, healthcare equipment and supplies, strong and sustained awareness campaigns while also using our digital platform to provide cash to some vulnerable members of our societies, among others,” said the bank.
The financial institution has presence in 33 African countries among them, Nigeria, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cape Verde, Togo, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Burundi and Zimbabwe.
The bank’s group chief executive officer Mr Ade Ayeyemi was quoted as saying:“Covid-19 is a major global threat adversely affecting all countries and our home, Africa, is particularly vulnerable.
“We believe in the importance of creating awareness in our communities while also empowering them to protect themselves and their families as we battle the pandemic.
“We are particularly mindful of the needs of our communities and therefore focused on these to ensure positive impact both in our urban and rural areas.”
Mr Ayeyemi said his institution was also paying attention to the effect of the Covid-19 outbreak on its various customers.
He said a decision has been taken to alleviate some of the adverse impact by making some bank charges free on Ecobank’s digital channels.
“We will continue to anticipate situations that may require our support as developments evolve,” said Mr Ayeyemi.
The bank said the health and well-being of its staff and customers was a priority and it would closely follow guidance from WHO, governments and health agencies.
In this regard, the bank was encouraging virtual/remote working, wherever possible and have since suspended physical gatherings, observing the required social and physical distancing in offices and branches which are open while also ensuring branches and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) are regularly disinfected across its network.
Ecobank’s ATMs and call centres remain open 24/7 and full range of banking services are available via digital platforms for all category of customers.
The bank’s digital platforms include Ecobank Mobile and Ecobank Online for the Consumer Bank customers, Ecobank Omni Lite for commercial bank customers and Ecobank Omni for corporate and Investment Bank customers.
The Ecobank group employs more than 15 000 people and serves about 20 million customers in the consumer, commercial and corporate banking sectors across its footprint.
The group has a banking licence in France and representative offices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Beijing, China; London, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. — @okazunga
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