The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) on Saturday inducted 2,178 new chartered banking professionals, charging them to uphold ethics, embrace innovation and continuously develop their skills.

The President and Chairman of the CIBN Council, Dele Alabi, delivered the charge at the 2026 Stream II Chartered Banker Induction and Prize Awards Ceremony in Lagos.

Mr Alabi said the new inductees were entering the banking profession amid significant technological, economic, and geopolitical disruptions, making continuous learning and ethical conduct critical to the industry’s future.

He said the institute would review its professional syllabus to align its training with the changing realities of the banking and financial services industry.

“We want to build ready-made bankers who will continuously add value to the various institutions where they work.

“The market has changed, and we want to produce future-ready bankers who will be able to continuously add value to their respective banks, the financial services industry and the economy,” he said.

Mr Alabi ‌⁠‍‍⁠⁠‌⁠‍‌⁠‍‍‍‌said the review was part of the institute’s IMPACT vision, which focuses on inclusion, membership, professionalism and ethical conduct, accountability and enhanced financial performance, competencies and skills development, technology, automation and innovation.

He urged the new chartered bankers to embrace the vision and apply its principles in their professional responsibilities.

The CIBN president said the banking profession was fundamentally built on trust and integrity, stressing that professionalism and ethical conduct remained central to maintaining confidence in the financial system.

According to him, the institute has mechanisms to investigate and discipline members who violate its professional and ethical standards.

He said complaints against erring bankers could be brought before the institute’s investigating panel, while disciplinary matters could be taken before its disciplinary tribunal.

“Banking is all about trust, integrity, great character, professionalism and ethics,” Mr Alabi said.

He said the 2,178 inductees were admitted through five pathways: 1,439 through the Standard Chartered Banker (ACIB) Route, three through the Chartered Banker/MBA (Bangor University) Route, 222 through the Lagos Business School/Chartered Banker Route, 14 through the MSc/Chartered Banker Route, and 500 through the Microfinance Certified Bankers (MCIB) Route.

The CIBN president said the induction represented not only an academic or professional qualification but also the acceptance of the ethical and professional responsibilities attached to being a chartered banker.

He urged the inductees to continue learning, relearning and unlearning as technology, particularly artificial intelligence, continues to reshape banking and financial services.

Mr Alabi said the institute would continue to encourage members to embrace technology while managing the associated risks.

He also disclosed that the institute had recorded growth in its operations and would continue to strengthen its accountability and financial performance.

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of CIBN, Akin Morakinyo, said the induction was significant because it produced professionals equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to respond to new developments in banking.

Mr Morakinyo said the new chartered bankers were expected to deepen professionalism in the industry and reinforce trust, which he described as the “central theme” of banking.

“Our mantra is trust and honesty. We expect the chartered bankers to go into the marketplace to display and demonstrate that attribute of trust and honesty in all that they do,” he said.

Mr Morakinyo urged the inductees to make trust and honesty their watchwords as they assumed greater responsibilities in the financial sector.

Also speaking, Olusegun Alebiosu, managing director and chief executive officer of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, said the future of banking would depend on professionals who combined leadership, innovation and ethics.

Mr Alebiosu, who was the guest speaker, said disruption had become a permanent feature of the banking environment, citing changing customer expectations, technological advancement, inflation, cyber threats and global uncertainty.

He said future-ready leadership was not determined by position but by the quality of decisions taken, willingness to accept responsibility and ability to build capable teams.

“Leadership is not about the title on your business card. It shows in the decisions you make when the answer is not obvious, the questions you ask before a problem grows, and your willingness to take responsibility when things do not go as planned,” he said.

Mr Alebiosu said innovation should not be limited to launching new digital applications, but should involve finding faster, safer, and easier ways to solve customers’ problems.

He said banks must keep innovating while preserving the trust they have built with customers and managing the risks associated with new technologies.

According to him, customers now expect speed, convenience, security and personalised services, while businesses require faster decisions from their financial institutions.

He stressed that ethics remained the foundation of banking because customers entrusted banks with their savings, businesses with their ambitions and regulators with the stability of the financial system.

“Rules provide a minimum standard; our character must take us further. Technology and markets will change, but integrity must not,” he said.

Mr Alebiosu charged the new chartered bankers to regard their professional qualification as a public commitment to competence, professionalism and integrity.

He urged them to continue learning, remain curious, seek guidance when necessary and support younger professionals coming behind them.

The Managing Director and CEO of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc, Abubakar Minjibr, represented by Inyang Ani, said the future-ready banker must operate at the intersection of finance, technology, regulation, cybersecurity, economics and human behaviour.

Mr Minjibr said the increasing digitisation of financial services had made security and trust inseparable from banking operations.

He said banks must protect customers’ identities, information and transactions, and ensure that security was built into systems from the outset rather than treated as an afterthought.

According to him, the banking industry has evolved from traditional banking halls to ATMs, internet and mobile banking, USSD, agency banking and fintech ecosystems, fundamentally changing customer expectations.

He urged the CIBN to continue exposing professionals to emerging realities so that certification would be complemented by continuous learning.

“The banker of yesterday protected transactions, the banker of today manages relationships, but the banker of tomorrow must protect trust, create value and shape the future,” he said.

The theme of the ceremony was “The Future-Ready Banker: Leadership, Innovation and Ethics in a Disruptive Global Economy”.

The ceremony also recognised outstanding students across various categories, including fintech, finance in the global market, corporate financial services, and bank management and strategy.

The best graduating students received plaques, while the best student in applied banking received a cash prize of N1 million.

The event also featured the induction of Microfinance Certified Bankers and delegates from other African countries. 

(NAN)