GT BANK SUPPORTS RED CROSS,DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS

GTBank Supports Swiss Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders on Ebola in West Africa                            

RED CROSS IS A GLOBAL CONCERN

Guaranty Trust Bank, a foremost financial institution in Africa has extended its support towards the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Intervention strategy in West Africa by making a donation of N40 million to Swiss Red Cross and Doctors without Borders.

The response to Ebola outbreak by Swiss Red Cross and Doctors without Borders started in Early 2014 with the establishment of Ebola case management centers (CMCs), provision of beds in isolation and transit centers, proper dispose of dead bodies and provision of medical personnel and supplies. After a few months of properly executed intervention measures by these organisations, there is remarkable gradual decline in the outbreak. However, more actions is required to combat further outbreak as well as effective implementation of World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Roadmap against Ebola.

GTBank’s donation of N40 million to Swiss Red Cross and Doctors without Borders is to support the dispatch of trained personnel, creation of mobile laboratories to improve diagnostics, setting up of more Ebola case management facilities in remote areas, creation of regional network of field hospitals to treat medical personnel and addressing the collapse of state infrastructure, which has left people in many parts of West Africa without access to basic healthcare.

Commenting on the donation, the Managing Director and CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje stated that “GTBank will continue to lead the way as a responsive and socially responsible corporate organization in line with its strategic Corporate Socially Responsibility (CSR) objectives. We are convinced that these funds will, among other things, better equip volunteers and medical practitioners in the forefront of combating further outbreak of Ebola and saving more lives”.

As a Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank plc, has put in place some precautionary measures to safeguard its customers and business communities to contain the outbreak by providing infra-red thermometers which are used to check all persons before they visit our branches and by ensuring that hand sanitizers are always available at all office floors and entry points of the bank.

Guaranty Trust Bank plc is one of the few Nigerian financial institutions that have maintained a defined Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy since its inception in 1990 and presently operates from over 200 offices in Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and the United Kingdom.

The Bank actively supports numerous programmes across Africa that positively affect Infant and Maternal Healthcare, Education, the Art, Community Development and the Environment.

GTBank is ‘Best Corporate Governance, Africa’ for 2015 by Ethical Boardroom.

                                                                          

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, has been awarded ‘Best Corporate Governance, Africa’, for the Financial services category by the Ethical Boardroom Magazine UK. The ‘Corporate Governance Award’ organized by Ethical Boardroom magazine recognizes outstanding companies who have exhibited exceptional leadership in the area of governance and professional ethics to ensure protection and long-term value for all their stakeholders. 

The award is an acknowledgement of the Bank’s strong corporate governance practices, commitment to high standards of ethical leadership and compliance with regulatory standards.

According to Segun Agbaje, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, “GTBank has built a reputable institution which consistently adopts, implements and applies international best practices in corporate governance, service delivery and value creation for all its stakeholders”.

“We are delighted to receive this award which affirms GTBank's position as a one of the leading Banks in Africa whilst also reiterating and confirming our commitment to ethics, professionalism, integrity, quality service delivery, innovation and internationally accepted corporate governance standards”, added Mr Agbaje.

GTBank was the first Nigerian Bank to be awarded an ISO 9001: 2000 certification by the International Standards Organization and the first to adopt the IFRS reporting format. The Bank has the best risk category  rating assigned to any Nigerian Bank by both local and international rating agencies (BB- by Standard & Poor’s and B+ by Fitch Rating), which is extremely compliant with International best practice and standards.

The Bank ensures compliance with the Code of Corporate Governance for Public Companies issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (‘the SEC Code’), the Code of Corporate Governance for Banks in Nigeria, Post Consolidation issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (‘the CBN Code’), as well as disclosure requirements under the Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in the United Kingdom, which are applicable to non-UK companies with GDRs listed on the London Stock Exchange. In addition to the Code of Corporate Governance, GTBank promotes the company’s core values to its employees through its Code of Professional Conduct and an Ethics Policy which regulates employee relations with internal and external parties.

GTBank has received several international and national awards from reputable organizations for its exceptional financial performance, innovation and excellent customer service delivery. Some of the awards received in 2014 include; the 2014 African Bank of the Year by African Banker, the 2014 Best Bank in Africa and Best Bank in Nigeria by Euromoney Magazine, 2014 Best Bank in Nigeria award by The Banker, 2014 Best Commercial Bank and Best Corporate Bank in Nigeria by International Finance Magazine and 2014 Bank of the Year award by BusinessDay.

Guaranty Trust Bank was established in 1990 and presently operates from over 240 offices in Nigeria and banking subsidiaries in Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and the United Kingdom.