By Diana Omueza
Ally Microfinance Bank, says it is targeting not less than 20,000 families for its 2023 December Jollification Savings Plan, where customers will be rewarded with food items worth twice their actual savings.
Mr Bayonle Omoyele, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the bank, said this on Saturday in Abuja during the banks End-of-the-Year party.Omoyele said that the bank made significant impact in the lives of families who saved money from January to December 2022 for the December Jollification Plan, indicating that there are plans to boost the customer base to 20,000 families in 2023.
“2022 has been wonderful. In 2022 we have been able to put smiles on the faces of people through our December Jollification Plan.
“Our December Jollification plan is a family plan that feeds and rewards families at the end of the year with food items worth twice their actual savings.
“Families that save up money from January to December get food items like bags of Rice, Groundnut-Oil, Tomato-Pastes, Semovita and other items as incentive for their savings.
“A plan-A customer who contributed N37,200 through savings will get items worth not less than N50,000 under this December jollification plan, which is similar to the Plan-B customer.
“So in either plans, they are getting twice the worth of their savings and they are cultivating saving culture.“And we are targeting 20,000 families that would benefit from this December jollification savings plan in 2023,” he said.
Omoyele said that in 2023, the bank would be 10 years in business and as part of its Cooperate Social Responsibility (CSR), it would be empowering 500,000 secondary school students with Agro-business skills and start-up grants to boost financial independence.
He said that the goal is to encourage early self-reliance, financial freedom and imbibe savings culture in students from their schooling age.
“This year, we empowered just three students but next year we would make it massive in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“This year, we will give out gift items, including a brand new Toyota Corolla Car, Television sets, Freezers, Generators and many gift items to be won via raffle draw.
“But next year, we hope that all of our esteem customers in all the savings plan and especially the December jollification plan will go home with an item in celebration of our 10th-year anniversary,” he said.
He said that 2023 would also be an awareness creation year for the bank as it would provide financial inclusion to its customers by bringing banking services with ease to the door steps of those at the grassroots.
According to him, this would also help those within Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) to access financial services with ease from their homes.
“Statistics shows that 40 per cent of Nigerians are still unbanked which means 40 per cent of Nigerians do not have access to financial services..
“So we are working on how we can take up the responsibilities of the unbanked and encourage savings culture,” he said.
Mrs Rita Ezeh, Ally Managing Director, said that the bank had grown over the years, both in staff strength and in customer patronage, due to its low interest rates on loans and staff welfare prioritization.
Ezeh said that the bank is also thriving in the mainstream financing business because its expert bankers and microfinanciers are dedicated and committed to their personal goals and the bank’s goals.
“We pride in customer satisfaction and without any doubt we have been able to satisfactorily help all our customers in making profitable business investments with little interest.
“All our customers are satisfied and pleased with our services and existence because we are licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and insured by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Cooperation (NDIC) and we have been in business operation since November 2013,” she said.
She urged Nigerians to neglect the bias on Microfinance banks, adding that they were only in existence to bridge the gap between unconventional banking and to provide easy access to facilities and build the savings culture.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ally Microfinance Bank was incorporated on May 30, 2013. It began its business operations in Nov. 2013 and is duly incorporated in Nigeria under the 2002 companies and allied matters Act.It has several branches across the FCT.
