Diamond Bank opens new branch at Babcock University

Lagos, Nigeria, 29 January, 2013: Diamond Bank Plc, a leading commercial bank in Nigeria and the African continent, has opened a new branch at Babcock University, Ilishan, Ogun State.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Dr. Alex Otti said they were quite happy to be in the university community and assured existing and prospective customers that the bank would continue to render efficient services that it is noted for.

Dr. Otti said they were also in the university community to support businesses, remarking that "We are probably the only bank that lends money to small businesses and this branch will not be an exception. For members of the university community you can access loans here even when you don't have collateral once we look at your proposal and find that it is viable, we will give you money."

"Our position in Diamond Bank is that if we insist that everybody must provide security then we must willingly or unwillingly zone out majority, about 90 per cent of the population and if our business is to empower people, then we cannot zone out 90 per cent of the population," the GMD/CEO remarked.

He said the interesting thing about Diamond Bank is that the very day any branch is opened, from the first branch that was opened in 1991 to the new one, customers can transact businesses irrespective of the branch their accounts are domiciled.

Otti said the new branch is more of an electronic bank and therefore enjoined customers to carry out most of their transactions online.

Also speaking, the vice-chancellor of the university, Professor Makinde Olukayode, observed that it was the first bank opening he has attended in the school, adding that it was the beginning of something new. Besides Diamond, Babcock University boasts of several other banks in the campus.

Professor Olukayode further stated that it was not just the beginning of a new era but the expansion of an existing relationship between the bank and the university community which has been growing phenomenally over the years.

The vice-chancellor asked the bank to proffer a solution for parents who encountered difficulties while paying their wards'school fees through electronic means. He also enjoined the bank to look at ways of financing the dreams of staff of the university, especially in the areas of building their houses, purchasing cars and financing their children's education in a bid to make for continuity.

"I believed Diamond Bank has what it takes to give us the best services here," Professor Olukayode commented.

The event was graced by senior officials of the bank, members of the governing council of the university, administrative staff of the university, representatives of staff union as well as representatives of the students union amongst others.