CEO Statement

I am delighted to present to you a summary of your Bank’s business review in this 2019 Annual Report; which is my second year as Managing Director of Access Bank Gambia. 

The past year was a period of progress towards the achievement of our strategy to become the leading Retail Bank in the Gambia by 2022. Being the second year in our 5-year strategic growth plan, your Bank made steady progress across key strategic objectives as it consolidated the Corporate and Retail banking businesses to deliver more value. Our performance in 2019 maintains a steady pace; it reflected our disciplined execution and commitment to strong risk management culture, controls and compliance standards. We were cautiously optimistic in growing our asset portfolio over the period as we diversified revenue sources to deepen gains across our key business segments. Though the year was demanding, we witnessed a positive growth trajectory and are certain that we are moving in the right direction to create value for all our shareholders.

Expanding Our Frontiers
Growing both our Corporate and Retail banking business meant that we took advantage of new and emerging market opportunities to grow our balance sheet. These have made the management to strategized and position the bank by working towards opening three more branches in Senegambia; Brikama and Farafenni to harness prospective customers. Moreover, during the period under review, the Bank has invested so much in improving the innovative and digitally imbued products; USSD *901#, Mobile App and Access Africa Money Transfer and WhatsApp Banking targeted at retail customers, salary earners, employers and Corporate customers. We are also on the verge of migrating our Core banking application to a higher version in unity with the Group.

Building Capacity    
Our staff remain our greatest asset and they have formed an integral part of the Bank’s growth over the years. In tandem, we are continuously focused on attracting talent through our reputable Entry Level Training Programme at the School of Banking Excellence (SBE) for fresh graduates to maintain our competitive edge and continue driving performance. Our ambition is to drive a high-performance culture, putting our customers at the centre of all that we do and remaining true to our values.

Sustainability and Future Investment
Next year we will be celebrating 14 years of our Bank’s existence in the country, our banking franchise has been embraced and accepted by so many across the country re-iterating our commitment to sustainability as captured in our mission statement. The emerging “new normal” as occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic requires the adoption of technology to meet the changing needs of customers; this is evident with the introduction of WhatsApp Banking which is the first of its kind in the Gambia. We are combining our brick and mortar expansion with an intelligent roll out of our digital platforms to enhance our reach and promote a cash-lite society while positioning Access Bank as the Bank of choice in the Gambia.


Exciting times Ahead
Last year, our Bank has refreshed its look as a result of the merger between our parent company - Access Bank Plc and Diamond Bank Plc in Nigeria. Our logo, colors and brand promise has thus been evolved and we are excited by the benefits that this change is impacting on our trade finance, payments and Retail banking business. 

Management of the Bank will continue to remain committed to safeguarding our customers and their businesses, as well as upholding our fiduciary responsibilities. I would like to thank my fellow Directors, colleagues and everyone I work with for their warm support in working towards achieving the Bank’s objectives. I have every reason to believe that given the momentum of our 14 years’ milestone in the Gambia, the year 2020 will be a rewarding one for us all.

Remain blessed and stay safe.

Managing Director/CEO
Stephen Abban