Yemisi Izuora
Access Bank, along with twenty-seven other banks across the world, has developed new Principles for Responsible Banking.
The initiative was launched on 26 November, 2018 at a joint event in Paris – the UN Environment Finance Initiative’s biennial Global Roundtable and the 4th Climate Finance Day – under the patronage of the French President Emmanuel Macron.
The Principles have now been officially endorsed by other global banks including Caixa Bank, Corporación Financiera de Desarrollo (Ccofide), DGB Financial Group, GLS Bank, KB Financial Group, KBC Group, Keystone Bank, Natixis, Qatar National Bank, Standard Chartered PLC, and Zenith Bank PLC.
Speaking after the announcement, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, explained that as a member of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), Sustainability is an important global platform for the bank, especially in achieving sustainable growth through socially-responsible corporate practices.
“At Access Bank, we have stayed committed to ensuring that we place priority on not just being a profitable venture but also one that is deeply concerned about the planet and the people. With specific guidelines that have been developed, applied, and with rigorous monitoring, we can all ensure that we build a sustainable and prosperous future, achieve long-term business and financial benefits while driving urgent action that reduces the risk to the environment,” he said.
The Principles will align the global banking industry with, and scale up its contribution to society’s goals as indicated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement.
Supporting the Bank’s commitment, the Head of Sustainability, Access Bank, Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan said: “In order to continuously increase on impact through sustainability practices, we will consistently align our corporate strategies with ideas and activities that contribute to our customers’ needs, proactively engage and partner with relevant stakeholders in order to achieve Nigeria’s Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Climate Agreement and relevant national and regional frameworks to which the country remains committed.”
The Principles are now in a six-month global public consultation period until 31 May 2019, with more banks and stakeholders around the world providing feedback and input to guide their further development, and to signal their support by becoming Endorsers of the Principles for Responsible Banking.
Ahead of the yuletide, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has begun routine calibration of navigational facilities in 24 airports.
The agency’s spokesman, Khalid Emele, disclosed this on Sunday.
The facilities include: Instrument Landing System ( ILS) and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME). Calibration in aviation parlance means flight checking of navigational equipment to ascertain its efficiency and accuracy.
Emele said the exercise, which is targeted at putting all navigational aids in optimal capacity, will be completed in two weeks. It will also ensure that the facilities generate precise and accurate signals to guarantee the safety of air navigation in the country.
According to him, the equipment to be calibrated and commissioned are the newly installed ILS/DME facilities in Lagos and Port Harcourt airports.
Work, he said, has reached an advanced stage on the installation of Cat III ILS in Lagos and Abuja, adding that a team of NAMA engineers are undergoing Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) of the CAT III equipment in the United States (US) in preparation for its take-off in January 2019.
Meanwhile, NAMA has refuted reports in some quarters alleging that flights were either being delayed or canceled on account of obsolete navigation equipment at some airports.
The agency said it was untrue that it has not embarked on significant upgrade of facilities in the last 12 months.
Emele said: “We see the above allegations as totally erroneous and misleading, especially when viewed against ongoing efforts by the agency in the area of infrastructure upgrade across major airports in Nigeria. There is also the need to put things in proper perspective as the above insinuations are capable of sending the wrong signals to our teeming airspace users as well as the flying public.
“For the records, the agency has in the last 18 months embarked on an aggressive upgrade of navigational infrastructure in strategic airports in the country. For instance, Cat II Instrument Landing Systems /Distance Measuring Equipment (ILS/DME) have been installed in Kaduna, Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt airports. In the same vein, installation of Doppler Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (DVOR) is ongoing at Maiduguri airport, while that of ILS/DME is also in progress at Benin airport. Upgrade of facilities in other airports is to follow soon.
“ The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) therefore, wishes to reassure the flying public of the safety of the nation’s airspace as all necessary measures are in place to ensure safe, efficient and seamless flight operations in Nigeria.”