Heritage Bank NextGen Ambassador Advises African Leaders On Economic Transformation

Western countries have always seen the African continent as backward in every aspects. In the affairs of the world economy, the African continent does not have substantial representation, unlike the Asian continent, which has China and Japan.

Despite the fact that some of these world players like China, the United States of America (USA) and Europe cannot do without the African market to boost their economies, countries in Africa have not looked deep inside of them to make a huge statement and to also take advantage of this loophole.

It is from this backdrop that the Brand Ambassador of Heritage Bank, Miss Zuriel Oduwole, who is also a globally-renowned child rights activist, has advised African leaders on how to transform Africa into a world economic giant.

Addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State on the occasion of Heritage Bank’s recent financial literacy campaign to Ado Grammar School, Miss Oduwole noted that African political and business leaders must forge a collaborative front to tackle the issues that militate against the liberation and education of children in the continent.

She also made a passionate call to African leaders to prove to the world that they care for their peoples and countries by making qualitative education for children their number one priority. She said provision of qualitative education for the African child is the only strategy to stop the continent from lagging behind others in the areas of socio-political and economic development.

“We Africans are specially created by God. With the right commitment and investments by governments and businesses in development-enhancing infrastructure, African children can be at par with children of other continents in all spheres of life,” Miss Oduwole submitted.

“You all are great and special; you can get to the global stage and command global attention if you get the right focus and apply the discipline and commitment needed to achieve success,” she also charged the African youths.

Earlier, Heritage Bank’s Executive Director, Manila Banking, Niyi Adeseun, explained that the Bank’s commitment to the preservation and enhancement of Nigeria’s values formed the thrust of the Heritage Bank NextGen project and the choice of Zuriel Oduwole as the brand ambassador.

“We are excited about the potentials of the Nigerian children and what this could translate into for the country’s future if these potentials are properly harnessed and exposed to the right values. This is why we have launched the Heritage Bank NextGen project and chosen Zuriel Oduwole as the ambassador. Through this project, Heritage Bank hopes to help the country discover and develop several other talents to take on the world and make Nigeria proud as Zuriel is doing currently,” he said.

In his remarks, the Principal of Ado Grammar School, John Oladele Afe, who received books on financial literacy and some other teaching aids donated to the school by Heritage Bank, applauded the Bank’s novel initiative of bringing Zuriel Oduwole to the school. He said the effort would greatly motivate the students in their pursuit of academic success.

The Bankers’ Forum, through the Central bank of Nigeria, CBN, has a policy for commercial banks and other financial organisations in the country to go into schools to teach young Nigerians the essence of financial literacy. It is under this programme that Heritage Bank adopted Ado Grammar School and brought Miss Oduwole to inspire students of the school. During the campaign, some officials of the bank became teachers temporarily to teach the class of Senior Secondary two and three the basics of financial literacy.