Bankers Institute of Liberia participants, managers and LBDI President, John B. S. Davies In an effort to institutionalize banking education in Liberia and enhance networking and collaboration internationally, the Banking Institute of Liberia (BIL) has formed a partnership with the Chartered Institute of Bankers Nigeria (CIBN) and the Alliance of African Institutes of Bankers in Abuja, Nigeria, for the growth and development of the sector.
According to BIL’s Director-General, Richard Saywah Panton, the partnership will engender the administration of the Professional Banking Certification Examination for the first time in Liberia. The CIBN Certificate ascribes to holders sub-regional, continental and international recognition.
Speaking during the formal graduation exercises of level 2 first training cycle of 2020 of the Institute, held Friday, 27 November in Monrovia, Panton told the 65 participants who got certificated in various segments of the refresher program that the financial sector is grossly challenged and Liberia is no exception.
In 2019, the first batch of 4 candidates from the Liberian Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI) wrote the exam for Professional Banking Diploma Level I. Panton lauded LBDI for being the first Liberian participant to brave the storm and to have attempted the International Certification Examination.
He indicated that CIBN examinations are administered in April and October every year. “In this connection, the Banking Institute of Liberia conducts tutorials for the examination and will commence same in January 2021.”
He, therefore, admonished the graduates to use the skills acquired in mitigating the anomalies and thereby bringing sanity in the sector to regain the confidence and trust of clients, investors and the public.
Candidates were awarded short-term certificates related to competency-based courses in Systems and Controls, Banking Operations, Regulatory Framework and Compliance, Credit Analysis, Internal Audit and financial Reporting and Analysis.
Of the 65 participants, 20 were females (31 percent) while 45 were males (69 percent). Eleven (11) banking institutions, namely Access Bank which had 12 participants; Afriland Bank, 1; Central Bank of Liberia, 11; Ecobank, 1; Global Bank, 2; Guaranty Trust Bank, 11; International Bank, 7; Liberian Bank for Development and Investment, 10; SIBL, 5; and United Bank for Africa, 5; nominated participants.
This brings a total of 277 participants nominated from Central Bank of Liberia and Liberia Bankers Association’s member institutions and that of Diaconia.
Panton continued: “We admonish you to use the skills acquired in mitigating the anomalies and thereby bringing sanity in the sector to regain the confidence and trust of clients, investors […]
