By Saminu Ibrahim
The Managing Director of Nigeria Export, Import Bank (NEXIM), Mr. Abba Bello has bemoaned that fake news has become global phenomenon, saying there was need to counter the phenomenon with facts.
Acccording to Bello, fake news is now powered by social media, stressing there was need to keep in touch with the professional Online Media practitioners forum, to counter the phenomenon.
The NEXIM Boss, spoke on Thursday when he bagged the Prudent Management Award of the National Assembly New Media Forum, a forum of online journalists, held at the bank’s corporate headquarters in Abuja.
“There is a lot of negativity about the country, about organisation, about people running organisation and we need to counter it with facts” he said.
Consequently, he said NEXIM “look forward to working with you, because everything we are doing, we need people outside to know”.
“The award is not for me, is for my team because without them, it would have been impossible to achieve this. It is because of their hard work and dedication, so I gladly say it is an award for the whole of NEXIM, am only the representative collecting on their behalf” Bello said.
Unveiling the successes recorded by the bank under his stewardship upon assumption of office in 2017, Bello stated that the current executive management developed strategic plan (2018-2022), that was articulated towards improving operational performance, achieving the bank’s mandate and contributing towards meeting the objectives of the federal government of Nigeria under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.
Continuing, he said “The plan has now been implemented for over 3 years and this has contributed to the significant turnaround of the operational performance of the bank”.
Bello explained that following effective stakeholders engagement and the high level of confidence in the current management, the Central Bank of Nigeria released N50billion to the bank in February 2018 to implement the export development programme.
He added that the fund was further enhanced to N100billion in December 2020 following effective utilisation.
Speaking on the future plans of the bank, he said “to mitigate the adverse impact of covid-19 pandemic on the export sector and position Nigerian exporters to increasingly benefit from the opportunities provided by AfCFTA, as well as the increasing focus of Russia and EU on Africa, the Bank in the next two years will continue to implement it’s key intervention programmes”.
The bank chief executive who expressed delight over the award, however dedicated it to the whole NEXIM team.
Earlier in an opening remark, the chairman of the NASS New Media Forum, Comrade Yemi Itodo said the choice of Bello was sequel to “uncommon attitude towards public service, pragmatic disposition to issues of transparency, accountability and prudent management of the nation’s economy”.
Itodo noted that the NEXIM Boss had brought his over 30 years experience in the banking industry, to revitalize the bank and reposition the nation’s hitherto dying economy on the path of diversification, injecting lives from the perspectives of agriculture and solid minerals.
“We are here to let you know we are proud of you and your team and this should also spur you to do better and greater, until Nigeria is rescued from the shackles of corruption and her image is totally redeemed amongst the comity of nation’s” Itodo added.
