Children’s Day: Banks Link Up Despite Lockdown

By Emmanuel Aziken

The captivating image of Dele, a primary school girl doing her homework under the light provided by an FCMB ATM gallery in Ondo town, Ondo State was a stunning depiction of the contradictions facing the Nigerian child. The image surfaced a few months ago and not surprisingly brought a response from FCMB.

With a great potential to attain, the Nigerian child just as Dele, would do her best to beat the challenges towards attaining educational fulfillment.

It was as such a fitting riposte that FCMB appropriately adopted the young Dele with a provision of scholarship to help her attain her academic desires.

Ahead of another Children’s Day on Tuesday May 27, many of Nigeria’s leading financial institutions have rolled out programmes, policies and products to make themselves of good reckoning among the children who would be account holders of tomorrow.

Just as Dele would not forget the empathy from FCMB, several children who had in the past been bolstered by banks and other institutions would this year not be seeing much of that grace on account of social distancing inhibitions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, FCMB is still reaching out to kids through its FCMB Kids Savings Account under which the kids are offered free birthday cakes, Possibility to Win N10,000 monthly for 10 years among other freebies.

Banks are indeed positioning themselves in ways to create lasting impression on the children on the occasion of Children’s Day.

Zenith Bank which had in the past gone the length of organizing fun and other educational activities focused on children was mainly on account of social distancing regulations pulling back on any serious outward engagement this year.

The bank had in the past organized an annual Children’s Day parade as a way of grooming the little ones.

The bank was, however, ahead of the 2020 Children’s Day flaunting its ZECA Account as one way of engaging children and their parents. 

The Zenith strategy is on top of its several other CSR and product offerings directed to families and children. The bank’s annual yuletide Light Up project of Ajose Adeogun Street is one extra-curricular activity that has over the years delighted children.

Fidelity Bank in a message to its customers and other stakeholders informed of its plan to organize a reading event, albeit virtually on Children’s Day.

“We know getting kids to develop the habit of reading can be a challenge, that’s why with Children’s Day around the corner, we figured it would be a good time to learn some tips on how to make your kids fall in love with reading,” Fidelity Bank said ahead of the celebration.

“Who will be sharing these tips? None other than Mrs. Olubunmi Aboderin-Talabi, Founding Publisher of Clever Clogs Books.

“We will be discussing Inspiring A Love of Reading in Children and we would love to have you join us for an empowering session while also enjoying chapters from Children’s book authored by Mrs. Aboderin-Talabi.”

The bank promises that it will be an opportunity to bring children to fall in love with reading.

GTB has a whole gamut of activities to delight children on May 27. The bank using its Smart Kids Save, SKS platform, aims to connect albeit virtually with children on several points including cooking, reading, drawing and fashion between 12.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m.

Children in the period will read along with Ere Farinre, author of the Folk Tales are Forever series. The children will also be taught fashion skills by Funke Adepoju and importantly for most parents, the children will be taken through an online safety class with Google. In that time the children will be taught how to remain safe online.

GTB has also lined up Chef Muse to teach children how to cook!  

First Bank like other bigger players is not carrying out any direct physical activity on the day.

However, it had long before the day conceived plans and programmes to bolster children right from the first days of the lockdown.

The bank just before the countdown to Children’s Day launched an initiative directed at children under its 10,000 e-learning subscriptions scheme.

The bank has also in consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic conceived several programmes directed at children including plans to engage the children on educational and extracurricular activities.

One of the well lauded initiatives of First Bank promoted in the media including on this news website is the move to enable one million students on e-learning platforms.

“At FirstBank, we are partnering with innovative technology firms to provide e-learning solutions with the Government approved curriculum for students towards the drive to enable 1 Million students to move to e-learning platforms both online and offline,” the bank says in its promotion material.

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