How Nigerian Banks have fared in serving customers in COVID-19 era

When President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday, March 30 2020, in his much-anticipated nationwide broadcast declared total lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja as a measure to contain the fast-spreading coronavirus disease [COVID-19] in the country, most Nigerians (particularly those in the affected states) panicked not knowing what lies ahead of them in the coming days as regards their banking needs.

However, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through the Ministry of Finance quickly got the President to waive banking among other essential financial services from the lockdown, though still on a skeletal-mode.

As the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic fully unfolds, businesses, particularly the banking sector, have perfectly adjusted to ensure continued quality service delivery to their customers nationwide.

As the Banks face the litmus test of technology banking, some banks seem to be standing out of the crowd. At this point, Polaris Bank, Zenith, FCMB, Access Bank, GTBank, Ecobank and UBA are some of the banks helping customers weather the harsh realities of COVID-19.

Checks by our correspondents in some states not affected by the presidential lockdown orders like Ibrahim Taiwo Kano, Murtala Muhammed Way, Jos, Orereowu, Ado Ekiti and Afikpo Road, Abakaliki could not but laud the professionalism and attention to details of Polaris Bank staffers.

One of the Polaris Bank’s staff who spoke on condition of anonymity explained that they were under strict instructions from the Bank’s management to follow all social distancing rule and impress it on customers to follow all guidelines of checking their temperature and ensure they use sanitizers provided before the gain entry into the ATM gallery or banking hall.

Credit: Vanguard