The Alternative Bank prepares for Pan-African expansion
Nigeria’s largest ethical bank, The Alternative Bank (TAB) has taken steps to extend its reach beyond the shores of Nigeria with its hosting of an executive delegation from Banque Sahelo-Salarienne pour l’Investissement et le Commerce (BSIC), a Gambian bank. The two-week exchange program is to promote collaboration between the non-interest banking sectors of Nigeria and Gambia’s financial services sectors.
TAB’s Managing Director, Hassan Yusuf, announced that the four-member delegation from BSIC is embarking on study tour of TAB’s operational and business processes as part of the prerequisites stipulated by The Gambia’s Central Bank to establish an operational window for a non-interest bank in the Gambian economy.
Yusuf explained that the visit will help nurture stronger relationships between The Alternative Bank and BSIC. According to him, “the exchange program has the potential for significant impact on Gambia’s financial landscape specifically, and the broader scope of the continent’s non-interest banking market.”
Speaking on the visit, the Team Lead for BSIC and Director of the Islamic Banking Window, Mr. Malick Joof said, “This visit provides us an opportunity to learn first-hand from the largest ethical banking organisation in one of the most technologically advanced financial services markets on the continent.”
Joof continued by adding, “With this visit, we can take forward learnings that will further improve our operations in Gambia, and hopefully begin to lay the foundations for collaborations with the potential to expand ethical banking across the continent.”
Supremacy Battle: Benue community gripped by violence as death toll climbs to 15
The death toll in Chito community of Ukum LGA of Benue State where rival militia groups are reportedly fighting a supremacy battle has risen to 15 people.
It was gathered that rival armed militia groups from Ukum LGA are fighting a fierce battle over the control of 15 gang members.
Two factional militia groups known as Chain and Full Force who are armed to the teeth are the protagonists in this gang warfare that has claimed the lives of 15 people.
A local source, who spoke to journalists on the phone on Sunday, said that the Full Force group engaged the services of another group to help eliminate the leader of the Chain group.
The source who spoke under anonymity, said, “It is a fight for supremacy, the kingpins on that side of Ukum LGA, Chain and Full Force, wanted their operational head eliminated.
“Both of them were at each other’s necks. Full Force employed the services of another banditry group to help kill the leader of the Chain bandit gang, unfortunately, we learnt that he got wind of the plan and laid an ambush.
“They opened fire and killed all of them. Some said they were 10 while others said they were 15 in number. It was an internal fight for supremacy.
“The locals ran away because they were afraid of reprisal. The villagers feared that in the course of reprisal, they might be affected despite being innocent.”
Ukum LGA which is part of the Sankera district of the state has become a hotspot for violence and banditry in recent times with reports of killings, kidnappings and maiming of innocent people nearly every other day.
