SEC DG urges senior bankers to mentor younger generation
The Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Malam Lamido Yuguda, has urged senior bankers to mentor the younger generation so as to ensure sustainability, safety and soundness of the banking and finance industry.
Lamido gave the advice at the relaunch of the CIBN Mentoring Scheme, with theme, “Mentoring: Unlocking Career Potentials and Possibilities,” on Thursday in Lagos.
He said that their commitment to mentoring the younger generation would go a long way in actualising the objectives of the institute’s mentoring scheme.
The aim of the scheme is to mold, shape and transform the minds of young and upcoming professionals in the banking and finance industry.
It was first launched in 2012 as a capacity building initiative to address some of the needs and gaps identified in the industry.
The relaunch was necessitated by the fact that the scheme had been fortified and enriched with more features for the benefit of all participants and would be participants.
Running on a mobile responsive user friendly application, it went live on June 17, 2020, with over 600 mentors and mentees nominated by managing directors of banks in Nigeria.
Lamido said, “Let me use this opportunity to encourage senior bankers to collaborate with CIBN in actualising the objectives of the mentoring scheme.
“Your commitment to mentoring the younger generation will go a long way in ensuring the sustainability safety and soundness of the banking industry.
“To the young bankers, I enjoin you to make the best use of this rare opportunity. I am confident that with the cooperation of all stakeholders, the CIBN mentoring scheme will be a point of reference for others,” he said.
Lamido said that to be a successful professional, one must be ambitious, willing to go the extra mile, try to be a value enhancer and must be outstanding.
He said that such a person must be teachable and willing to learn from other persons who are deemed successful in the same career path.
According to him, it is critical for young bankers to be mentored by seasoned senior colleagues as they progress in their careers because the banking profession is predicated on trust and professionalism.
He said that these values could be taught but are actually reinforced when demonstrated by senior bankers and emulated by their younger colleagues.
“Due to the peculiarities of the banking industry, it is easy for young bankers to get distracted with the prestige and sometimes material benefits that come with the profession.
“However, mentorship relationships help to keep such young professionals grounded and focused on building character, advancing their knowledge, growing their professional network and cultivating the right values.
“This is important because what makes success sustainable for a professional is a combination of skill, experience and the right values,” the SEC director general said.
A former Company Secretary, FBN Holdings Plc, Mr Tijani Borodo, urged professionals in the banking and finance industry to imbibe good attributes in their profession and in their personal lives.
“There are three Cs which I call the attributes of a good leader, that is, character, capacity and competency.
“For you to be a banker, you must have character; and if you are a trustworthy person, and you are honest, the chances are you have character; and if you have that, the banking industry and the regulators are there to ensure there is professionalism, capacity and competency in you and all others in the banking industry,” he said.
