Nigeria’s banks have so far been relatively insulated from the credit crisis in the West, but with external sources of capital rapidly drying up, how long can this situation last? Erastus Akinbola is chief executive of one of Nigeria’s leading banks, Intercontinental Bank, and president of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Nigeria. He spoke to Charlie Corbett about the impact of the credit crisis on Nigeria’s banking industry.
The European payments landscape is undergoing a period of dramatic transformation as regulatory, infrastructural and commercial pressures force Europe’s payment providers to invest colossal amounts of human and financial resources in new technological and compliance projects.Faced with SEPA, the PSD and UK Faster Payments, the transaction banking business has rarely been busier or more inflamed by competitive pressure.
It has been an unprecedented year for the world’s banking industry. Once seen as the drivers of economic growth and prosperity, bankers are regarded by many as pariahs. This image is unfair. The collapse of confidence in the credit markets was driven by the recklessness of a few, but the impact of their actions has sent shock waves across the industry. Cash has become king and, increasingly, banks are looking towards their transaction services teams to drive revenue in 2009. Paul Camp, head of cash management for financial institutions at Deutsche Bank, talks about cash management’s evolution in 2009.
Winner of The Banker’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Ibrahim Dabdoub has steered National Bank of Kuwait successfully through many crises, maintaining a balanced operating style and stressing the importance of trust and relationships. Writer Stephen Timewell.
Pressure to cut IT costs and improve efficiency will result in yet another push towards outsourcing and offshoring. Michelle Price speaks with Daniel Marovitz, head of product management and chief operating officer, technology and MIS, global corporate finance, Deutsche Bank, about the bank’s outsourcing strategy.