Citibank partners Spelling Bee to boost human capital development

As part of its social responsibility to its host communities and also contribute its quota to grow human capital and stir up academic performance among students, more than 700 Citi volunteers comprising of employees, alumni, clients and friends of Citibank Nigeria Limited recently took the financial literacy campaign to secondary schools across the country.

The initiative, which was hinged on the ninth annual Global Community Day, saw the Lagos arm of the bank partner with Spelling Bee Nigeria, a human capital development firm, to educate students of Lagos State Model College, Badore, on several personal finance skills that would enable them cultivate a frugal lifestyle. In addition, the bank renovated the school’s library and rehabilitated some sections of the school.

Speaking with journalists at the school premises, Omar Hafeez, CEO, Citibank Nigeria, said the annual event, which has become a tradition of the bank, offered employees, alumni, clients and friends of the institution worldwide an opportunity to serve their cities by using their skills, expertise and time to make a difference in their community.

“This initiative is about impacting on communities, and in the long run with financial literacy inclusion spreading, it will be beneficial to everybody,” he noted.

“This year, tens of thousands of Cities volunteers across 495 cities and 93 countries are engaged in 1,200 services around the world, doing exactly what we are doing, working side-by-side to enable progress in the cities and communities we call home,” Omar further added.

According to him, though Citi employees periodically dedicate their time to other worthy course and programmes that they are passionate about, what distinguishes the annual Global Community Day is the fact that, “we get the opportunity to harness the same spirit of volunteer service as a global Cities volunteer team,” Omar enthused.

In his submission, Olurotimi Eyitayo, project director, Spelling Bee Nigeria, said the partnership with Citibank was expected to ignite leadership potential and stir up talents in the students.

On the reason for educating the younger generation as part of its Global Community Day, Omar said the importance of education can not be underestimated, there was a skew towards education and ensuring that children were properly informed.

BALA AUGIE