The Chairman, Board of Directors of Polaris Bank Ltd, Dr. Kassim Gidado has said while the unprecedented evolvement in the nation’s financial services landscape is well acknowledged, however, technical competence is not enough to deliver the best of experience and quality services to bank customers.
According to him, beyond the technical know-how, ethical leadership, innovation, sound judgment, and trust must be in the competence mix.
Gidado revealed this in his remarks as Special Guest of Honour at the 2026 Stream 1 Chartered Banker Induction and Prize Awards Day organised by The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) at Queens Park Events Center on Saturday.
Themed “Smarter Banking: The Power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Accelerating Innovation in the Industry”, the Stream 1 induction had 2,037 inductees cut across different admission routes of the Institute.
Elaborating on the need for banking staff to up their skills beyond tech savvyness, the Polaris Bank Chairman said: “Banking is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Digital transformation, financial inclusion, regulatory changes, emerging technologies, and increasing global interconnectedness are reshaping the financial services landscape.
“In such an environment, technical competence alone is no longer sufficient. What the industry demands today is ethical leadership, innovation, sound judgment, and above all, trust. Indeed, trust remains the most valuable currency in banking.
“Every decision you make as a banker matters. Every customer interaction, every credit decision, every compliance action either strengthens or weakens the trust upon which the entire financial system is built. Institutions may build systems. Technology may enhance efficiency. But the credibility of the banking system ultimately rests on the integrity and professionalism of its people.”
Gidado noted further that at Polaris Bank, premium importance is placed on human capital as most strategic asset within financial institutions.
“At Polaris Bank, we firmly believe that human capital remains the most strategic asset within financial institutions. The future of banking will not be determined by technology alone, nor by capital alone, but by the quality of professionals entrusted with these resources.
This is why continuous learning, professional development, and adherence to global best practices remain critical to the growth and sustainability of our industry,” he explained.
Another special guest of honour and Chairman of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs Amala Onwughalu represented by the Bank’s Executive Director and Chief Risk Officer, Kevin Ugwuoke, in her remarks noted that the Bank views AI as responsibility not slogan, putting into cognisance it’s effect on ethics and security.
The guest speaker and President of the FinTech Association of Nigeria, Dr Stanley Jacob in his lecture urged banks to leverage AI to drive innovation and improve service delivery in the financial sector.
Jacob who was ably represented by the Association’s national treasurer, Oluwaseun Adesanya said AI was transforming banking through fraud detection, improved efficiency, personalised services and wider financial inclusion.
According to him, institutions that failed to adapt to technological innovation risked losing relevance in the rapidly evolving financial services industry.
Earlier, the CIBN President, Prof. Pius Olanrewaju in his welcome address said the induction marked a defining moment in the careers of the new professionals.
He noted that AI was already transforming credit risk modelling, fraud detection and customer analytics across financial institutions worldwide.
Olanrewaju later urged the newly inducted bankers to embrace emerging technologies responsibly while upholding strong governance, ethical standards and public trust in the financial system.