FBNBank is expanding its physical presence in each of the regions of the country as part of its expansion drive, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Victor Yaw Asante, has said.
“We intend to be a national bank and not be a geographically limited one and cover certain key markets in the country,” he said in interview with journalists during a healthwalk at East Legonorganised by the bank last Saturday.
The objective of the walk was to create awareness on the new branch of the bank recently established in East Legon..
Mr Asante said although the bank had achieved nationwide presence through its digital platforms, it was now also focusing on expanding its physical footprints across the regions of the country.
He said FBNBank currently had physical presence in seven of the regions of the country, stressing that “It would be our aim to at least have one physical representation in each of the sixteen regions of the country, whether it is a full branch or an agent.”
“We also recognised that we have a catch-up to do in terms of physical branch presence, so we are doing both. We have invested a lot in our digital platforms and we also at the same time trying to add a few of our physical outlets,” the CEO stressed.
He said the opening of the East Legon branch brought to 24 the number of the branches of the bank across the country.
“Our next target areas is to get up North a bit and establish a branch in either Northern or Savanna Regions. We have done an agent in Sunyani, which will be converted into a full branch soon. We are looking at doing one or two more in in Greater Kumasi areas,” Mr Asante, said.
Although, the Chief Executive Officer of FBNBank did not give any timelines, he said after covering the Northern, Savanna and Greater Kumasi areas “It will be one branch a while after we cover the whole Ghana.”
On the walk, Mr Asante said the response by the residents in East Legon had been very impressive.
“I am surprised by the things I have seen here in the last two hours or so. East Legon is a mixture of things and we are glad were are here,” he said.
“We didn’t come here for any elite group, we came here for the residents of East Legon. East Legon is a beehive of business activities, it is cosmopolitan, and described it as the new Osu, with a lot of eateries, residential areas and corporate offices,” he said.
Mr Asante said East Legon presented a very unique proposition for both premium banking and retail and consumer banking in in view of the cosmopolitan nature and diverse businesses in the areas.
He said the bank established the Atomic Junction branch recently, which was to cater for the student population primarily around, Legon, Wisconsin, UPSA.
“With the Atomic Branch and this new East Legon branch, we expect our clients to have the convenience of a bank branch when they need that,” Mr Asante, stressed.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
