Arimanwa Wins Iconic CIBN Banking Education Award

In another blaze of encomiums, the Rector of Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Engr. Dr. Michael Arimanwa FNSE, JP, has bagged the iconic Banking Education Award.

The award was last Saturday presented to the Rector by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Imo State branch, at its annual CIBN Dinner/Awards Night held at Rockview Hotels.

The Rector received the symbolic award alongside Gov. Hope Uzodinma, Dr. Ken Opara (CIBN President), Mr. Oliver Alawuba (GMD/CEO UBA) and some top financial experts and bankers in the country.

The Rector who is also an Honorary Senior Member of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (HCIBN) was given the award based on his invaluable contribution in banking education through the Department of Banking and Finance of his education.

It is on record that the polytechnic has maintained an excellent record of performance in the activities of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria. The institution also has a thriving MoU with the CIBN where students of the programme can run CIBN approved curriculum alongside while in their regular classes. This practice would leave them with only a few courses to pass through to be chartered bankers, after their undergraduate studies. This is a noble platform that has been variously applauded by academic experts.

Meanwhile, the Rector has described the iconic banking education award by CIBN as an honour which he considers a source of motivation to him, vowing to remain committed in his avowed commitment in banking education in Nigeria.

The polytechnic chief also commended the good relationship existing between the polytechnic and the CIBN, which according to him, “has been reinforced by the banking education award given to me.”It would be recalled that the CIBN earlier in the year bequeathed a smart Bankers Hall to the polytechnic based on what the body described as the track record of excellence which the institution had maintained in all CIBN activities and programmes.

It is also noteworthy that the Federal Polytechnic Nekede was the only higher institution in South East bequeathed the beautiful edifice. In a lecture at the event themed “Building Resilience for Economic Growth in a Challenged Economy: The Agriculture Finance Option,” the guest speaker, Mr. Linus Okafor who is also the Accountant General of Imo State, described a resilient economy as that which has the ability to deal with adversity and withstand economic shocks, suggesting that agriculture is a veritable option to overcome the bleak economic indices faced by the country.

Speaking to newsmen at the sidelines of the event, the Rector described the lecture as very apt while describing agriculture as a credible option left for Nigeria to explore to keep the economy stable. He advocated a mechanized system of agriculture which has capacity to add value to farming as well as guarantee food stability.

The Rector encouraged the government to fully exploit the agricultural potentials of the country by incentivizing the sector adequately. Beyond agriculture, the Rector made a case for a knowledge-based economy which he described as a possible goldmine for the country when fully harnessed. The CIBN Banking Education award is one among a deluge of awards that has been bestowed on the Rector for what stakeholders have described as his outstanding performance in service delivery at the educational sector.

It would be recalled that Engr. Arimanwa had at four different occasions bagged best Rector award courtesy of reputable education bodies in the country.

© FEDPONEK GAZETTE 20 NOVEMBER, 2022