October 25, 2017
Dr. Dayo Gilpin: flying the nation’s flag high
In what could be described as a high level international endorsement for the ongoing rebranding and restructuring process at Rokel Commercial Bank, Managing Director Dr. Dayo Gilpin has become the first and only Sierra Leonean finance executive to be invited to the inaugural meeting of the AfroChampions Club held recently in Lagos Nigeria, alongside a bevy of high level professionals in the continent’s financial sector.
The Afrochampions initiative, a roadmap for industry, business and financial growth in Africa, is also a platform for grooming and identifying business leaders within the continent.
Dr. Gilpin’s participation in this high-level meeting of Africa’s business elites is testament to his recognition as a dynamic game-changer, who within a very short time in one of Sierra Leone’s major indigenous banks, is rolling out reforms and strategies aimed at giving the Rokel Commercial Bank a competitive edge in the financial sector. His recognition by top business moguls like Alhaji Aliko Dangote reinforces the belief that the new Rokel MD is a performer who can take Sierra Leone to the echelons of global business. Above all, it was a clear indication that the ongoing restructuring of Rokel Bank has gained momentum and with an enviable growth trajectory. It is obvious the bank has regained customer confidence and a palpable sense of satisfaction from domestic and foreign customers.
The event also attracted African statesmen like former President of South Africa Thabo Mbekie and Nigeria ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, who both chaired the Africhampions initiative. Thabo Mbekie, in his statement, urged the need for Africans to work hard with diligence and honesty in order to realise the numerous benefits the continent offers, especially in terms of human and mineral resources.
Among the several themes discussed was the African Continental Free Trade Area. Contributions from the meeting would form the basis of a free trade blueprint that would be shared with the African Union Secretariat. Another subject of discussion was the development of a draft Charter for African Economic Champions, which aims to develop a “criteria to define an African Economic Champion, with a focus on their economic and financial role, their influence as economic ambassadors of the continent and their contribution to an inclusive growth on the continent.”
In another development, Dr. Gilpin has signed a Partnership Agreement between Rokel Commercial Bank and the GCB Bank of Ghana. The agreement seeks to foster strategic collaboration in the form of skills training, skills attachment, development and exchange of ideas.