Access Bank’s Amaechi Okobi, named ‘COVID-19 response banker of the year’

Amaechi Okobi, group head, corporate communications, Access Bank plc, has been recognised with the “COVID-19 Response Banker of the Year Award” at the recent 56th annual bankers’ dinner held in Lagos.

The award category sought to recognise and celebrate players in the industry who innovatively went beyond the call of duty to ensure business continuity and drive the protection of lives, property and business interests during the global pandemic.

Receiving the award, Okobi said, “Indeed, COVID-19 disrupted our lives and our business procedures. Before the pandemic, I, and many others in this room, could meet with teammates, visit favourite relaxation spots and move around freely. COVID-19 altered all of that. Being someone who takes relationships seriously, I was determined to do my part in restoring a form of normalcy to society while protecting lives and business interests.”

“However, all my bright ideas would not have come to life without the amazing team at Access Bank and extensively, CACOVID, who worked tirelessly to ensure we impacted lives through a truly testing time.”

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Okobi, who has been steering Access Bank’s corporate public image for the past six years, has been pivotal to driving Access Bank’s sustainability communications which has led to several recognitions including the 2021 Karlsruhe Award for Outstanding Business Sustainability Achievement (fifth-time consecutive winner); World Finance Award for Most Sustainable Bank (tenth-time winner); Central Bank of Nigeria Award for Sustainable Bank of the Year (third-time consecutive winner), and the ‘Sustainability Team of The Year (Financial Services)’ award at the 2021 Brandcom Awards.

In his personal capacity, Okobi has received several recognitions, including the ‘Most Outstanding Corporate Communications Professional (financial services)’ at the 2021 Brandcom Awards ceremony; the reputable Fellowship Award by the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) in 2020 and the “Corporate Communications Professional of the Year Award” at the Corporate Communications Awards 2017.

The annual bankers’ dinner is one of the most prestigious events in the Nigerian banking industry’s calendar, hosted by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.