ACCESS BANK, one of Nigeria’s high-flying banks in the financial sector now wears a new look. Unveiling a brand-new logo that strengthens Access Bank new status, after completing its merger with Diamond Bank, at Eko Hotel & Suits, Lagos, Sunday night, Victor Etuokwu, Executive in Personnel Banking, said the bank would showcase the new logo in 400 branch, effective, Monday, April 1, 2019.
Etuokwu said the new visual identity bonds together the best of Access Bank and Diamond Bank. He said Access Bank is now a “Nigerian banking powerhouse” and a “Pan-African financial services champion” with 27,000 staff across 592 branches. It has become the largest retail bank in Africa by customer base spanning three continents, 12 countries and with 29 million customers.
Etuokwu’s words: “Diamond Bank’s was youthful, vibrant and human. Access Banks’ s was trusted, global and fast. Bringing them together to capture the strength created through the merger meant drawing from the essence of each logo but refreshing them to create a sense of energy and forward momentum.
“The diamond shape is fused into the three chevrons, which radiate in all directions to create layers around a core. The retention of the access typeface, colour and font is complemented by the orange logo, which draws from the colour palettes of both banks,” he added.
Etuokwu said the use of diamond bank’s colour palette with dominance of green underscores its retail application, and ensures continuity for retail customers; while the dominant orange in the corporate application provides the same sense of familiarity to Access Bank’s customers. The best of both entities were fused together in the new bank to serve customers better.
Etuokwu said both banks came together to create more value to customers, as the market was fast evolving and changing. On overlapping of branches, Etuokwu said the bank would not be in a haste to close any branch in the next one year.
“We are not going to close branches in a hurry in the next three months to one year, we will wait for customers to decide”, he said. Presently, about 55 branches of the bank appear to be overlapping, some might be changed to e-centres as events unfold, Etuokwu said.
Access Bank Adviser on Retail Banking, Rob Giles, said Diamond Bank products such as Diamond Extra and Diamond Exclusive would maintain their names in the new bank. Access Bank would ensure seamless service delivery to its customers, and customers would have more access to international banking in the enlarged entity.
Giles said Access Bank would be positioned to give more credit to SMEs; and deliver improved value to shareholders.
Present at the launch were Emir of Kano, Mohammadu Sanusi II; founder, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; founder Diamond Plc, Pascal Dozie, among others.
