By Elizabeth Adegbesan

TWO banks, Diamond Bank and Fidelity Bank have rewarded over 5000 customers with N543 million in a bid to promote savings culture and enhance financial inclusion in the country. In the details Diamond Bank rewarded 4,957 customers with N433 million through its ‘DiamondXtra’ savings promo season 10, while Fidelity Bank has given out N110 million to 185 customers via its ‘Get Alert in a Million’ promo, which commenced October last year.

At the final draw of the ‘Get Alert in Millions’ promo, held at the bank’s head office in Lagos, Managing Director, Fidelity Bank, Nnamdi Okonkwo, who was represented by the Executive Director, Shared   Services, Mrs. Chijioke Ogochukwu, stated: “In the last two years alone including this year, over a quarter of N1 billion has been spent in terms of cash prizes and consolation prizes.

Banking hall

“Fidelity Bank supports the Central Bank of Nigeria’s financial inclusion strategy and this is a soft strategy that we have, bringing the good news and benefits of the savings culture to many people who ordinarily will not entertain the thought. But when enabled, and added value is brought to them, they come out of their shell and participate in the financial space.”

Giving a breakdown of winners that has emerged since the commencement of the promo, Ogochukwu noted that it has given out cash prizes of N110 million and 108 consolation prizes to 185 winners. “As we close this draw which ends the promo and which will definitely not be the last, we would have done a N110 million in cash, 108 consolation prizes and in total 185 winners. In this last draw we are going to produce a multimillionaire with the N10 million grand prize.”

On its part, Diamond Bank last week, held the presentation ceremony of the star prize of a brand new Hyundai Accent in the season 10 of the DiamondXtra reward scheme, won by one of its customers, Mrs Catherine Onwusonye. The event also featured presentation of prizes to winners of education grant for five years, rent for one year, cash prizes of N1 million and N500,000 to   the lucky winners.

Speaking at the event, which was held at the bank’s headquarters in Lagos, Head, Consumer Banking, Diamond Bank Plc, Kari Tukur, said the scheme was initiated to ensure Nigerians key   into the savings culture.

Her words: “DiamondXtra has changed many lives as it has created millionaires, giving out cars, salaries for life, educational grants for five years and many token awards to customers who we see as being valuable to us. We have awarded more than 11,000 customers with over N5 billion. So, Season 10 will not be an exception because in this season, we will be rewarding 4,957 customers with over N433 million.

“Beyond winning, it is building and growing your savings that is critical because when you save N5000 monthly without touching it, at the end of the year, you know how much that has translated to. So, this initiative is all about teaching our customers to key into the savings culture.”

To qualify for the monthly draw, potential customers are required to open a DiamondXtra account with a minimum of N5,000 and start growing their balances, while existing customers are required to increase their balance with a minimum of N5,000 every month to qualify.