A final year student of the Banking and Finance Department, Mr. Al-Mustapha Olayinka Faniyi has emerged the 2nd runners up at the maiden edition of the National Essay Competition for undergraduates of Banking and Finance in Nigeria Tertiary Institutions.
Mr. Faniyi, a 23 year old, fresh graduate of Banking and Finance of Olabisi Onabanjo University, who is the third of five children of his parents, put in for the Essay Competition for the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, with students from other tertiary institutions in Nigeria also participating. The topic of the Essay Competition was “The Digital Revolution and the future of Banking in Nigeria.” The competition, which was in three stages, involved essay writing and submission on line by the participating students, writing of another essay at the Headquarters of the CIBN at Victoria Island, Lagos by shortlisted students and an interview for the third stage that involved the best three students. Mr. Faniyi who got most of the materials that assisted him during the competition from his lecture notes, emerged the 2nd runners up from over 50 students from tertiary institutions in Nigeria that participated in the competition. While recounting his preparation for the competition, Mr. Faniyi submitted that his regular attendance in class during his studies and the high quality of lectures that were impacted on him by the Lecturers in his Department of Banking and Finance of the University contributed significantly to his success at the Competition.
Mr. Faniyi acknowledged the positive roles played by the lecturers in his Department, especially in inspiring and motivating him during the competition and the stimulating sessions he had while at the CIBN Learning Centre, Lagos and during the Institute’s Induction Ceremony, where they had the rare opportunity of having interactions with the Chairman, Board of Directors of CIBN, the Donor, Otunba (Mrs.) ‘Debola, Osibogun, the Managing Director of First Bank of Nigeria Limited and also the MDs of other banks in the Country. Mr. Faniyi and the overall winner of the essay competition, a student of River State University of Science and Technology, and the first runners up, a student of Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, were given free entry internship programme whenever they chose to. He was full of praises for the Head of the Department, Dr. Bamidele Ilo and Dr. Ganiyu Yinusa of the same Department of the University for the frequent debates and quizzes that they had always engaged them in, during the course of their lectures with students, which significantly contributed to his performance at the competition. Mr. Faniyi, whose dream is to undertake his postgraduate studies in Banking and Finance, hope to be a successful banker – an MD of a Bank, and intend to devote his interest and passion to a non-interest banking which is Islam Banking. He advised his colleagues to always participate in academic enhancing competitions, be hardworking and get exposed. He admonished them to focus on their studies, be observant and do what is worthwhile with their phones. Mr. Faniyi implored the University Management to encourage the students of the University to be engaged in participating in activities of their professional organizations, utilize the e-library and use technology more, to be exposed to contemporary developments in their fields of study. Mr. Faniyi urged the Faculty to allow student in the Department of Banking and Finance to be involved in Industrial Attachment, as obtained in other Universities to boost their knowledge of the Banking Industry.
