Financial inclusion remains a cardinal principle of the Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principles and in line with achieving regulatory compliance, the Bank also believes that sustainable economic development is only achievable when it is all inclusive and this cannot be achieved without the ability of customers/consumers to make informed financial judgements. Hence, the Bank recognizes the importance of financial literacy as a precursor to achieving financial inclusion and therefore lends its resources towards achieving this in line with the national development priorities.
To demonstrate its commitment to improving the financial literacy of the Nigerian populace, the Bank in addition to other initiatives, participates in the statutory Global Money Week and World Savings Day events where the Bank through its various business locations visit schools, markets, etc. to deliver financial literacy sessions. This has led to improved understanding of financial products and services on the part of the beneficiaries as well as brought about an uptake of our financial products specifically created for these market segments thereby furthering the financial inclusion agenda. In terms of impact, the Bank has been able to reach several students in different schools across Nigeria.
The Bank will continue to work with the Central Bank of Nigeria and other stakeholders towards achieving the national financial inclusion agenda and to record greater impact and coverage through the various initiatives mapped out for financial literacy and inclusion.
We are committed to being a responsible organization and making a positive contribution to the society and the environment.
Corporate Social Responsibility inspires trust in our brand, develop strong relationships with our stakeholders, and create long-term value for the society and our business. Like everything else we do, CSR at Polaris is founded on ethical business practices and effective governance. We strive to work with suppliers and stakeholders to operate responsibly and support initiatives that have positive social, environmental and business impacts.
Our focus on creating value for society, the environment and our business is reflected in the depth of our commitments across Education, which the Bank recognizes as one of the most significant indicators of social progress, Health & Safety which is at the core of a functional society and cultural & civic projects that promote and preserve our societal values.
The goal of developing a generation of educated populace and supporting their growth for the overall benefit of the society accounts for a significant fraction of our total CSR spend. Our commitment in this regard aligns with our core value of continuous learning which makes us a learning organization. This effort is geared towards empowering children and youths thereby contributing to the growth of the educational sector.
The Cultural & Civic Projects sector is made up of security, accounting for over 90% of our commitment in this sector. The projects embarked upon shows our unrelenting commitment to ensuring that businesses are conducted in a safe environment which aligns with government efforts at combating insecurity in the country.
Our footprint in the health & safety sector includes the provision of facilities to aid the fight against deadly diseases particularly cancer. The Bank has consistently given hope to the female folk in the country through its free breast cancer screening initiative.
The bank in partnership with Care Organization Public Enlightenment (C.O.P.E); its NGO partner has provided free breast cancer screening to over 150,000 women and remains committed to continuing in that stride in the years to come.
In 2018, the Bank executed various CSR initiatives to support the fight against Cancer:
- Free monthly breast screening for women.
The Bank in collaboration with C.O.P.E hosted 40 breast cancer survivors most of whom were beneficiaries of our support initiative to an end-of-year get together.
As part of the Bank’s effort to improve its social footprint in communities where we have a presence, the Bank recently revitalized and institutionalized the Bank’s Employee Volunteering Scheme, where the Bank’s employees are allowed to support a cause/project they align with in accordance to the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) pillars. The scheme is designed to support the Bank’s CSR initiatives on the one hand and to also serve as a means to drive employee engagement on the other. The scheme is geared towards driving an employee-led community investment and support where little community supports can catalyze into significant benefits for national development in the long run.
We are focused on positively impacting communities through sound ethical business practices that support the building of a prosperous society while also contributing to a safe and viable environment. As a leading commercial bank in Nigeria and a signatory to several sustainable banking frameworks across the world, we are aware of our responsibilities towards enhancing the quality of life of the people in our community, protecting our environment and ensuring the growth of our business. As our biggest assets, we recognize that our employees can help us achieve these goals and as such encourage them to embark on initiatives that contributes positively to their communities and the larger society. We believe that by giving a helping hand to society, they become more fulfilled persons and also become more committed to helping the Bank achieve its goals.
The Bank strives to give all its employees the opportunity to achieve organizational, professional and personal goals in a respectful and inclusive workplace mobilized and supported by leadership at all levels. This is why in the past, the Bank’s employees have been involved in different volunteering efforts from donations of books/infrastructural facilities to schools to donations of relief materials to Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in specific locations in the country. With the revitalized scheme, the Bank is positioned to deepen its relationship with its stakeholders and improve on our social footprint and performance whilst supporting the personal goals of our employees.
