New Ecobank MD Shares Vision for Investment in Liberia

Dr. Edward Nartey Botchway, the newly appointed Managing Director of Ecobank Liberia, has shared his vision for the bank's future and its commitment to customer progress in the country.

With a strong belief in Ecobank's potential to support individuals and businesses alike, Botchway, an experienced pan-African banker, expressed his optimism about Ecobank's ability to support individuals and businesses, emphasizing its potential to enhance financial well-being.

"I think for us, we believe that Ecobank can help. We believe that Ecobank can support its customers to make more progress in life. We believe that Ecobank can support businesses strongly. We believe that the country as a whole can benefit, or will benefit, from Ecobank. Again, in the coming days and months, there's a lot of work that we are doing. Once we are able to deliver on all of these things, I'm sure it will be apparent to all," he said. 

He made these revelations in an interview with journalists on Wednesday, February 28, at his Sinkor head office.

Botchway highlighted Ecobank's recent achievements, such as the popularity of its prepaid card and digital products facilitating mobile account openings and online tax payments.

He emphasized the bank's dedication to enhancing customer engagement, illustrated by initiatives like sponsoring a lucky winner to attend AFCON Live, aligning with customer interests in Africa's passion for football and community values.

"Our customers, like ourselves, believe in Africa. Our customers like ourselves are passionate about football. Our customers like ourselves hold very strong views of community and family values and all that. I think these are things that come to the fore with football and AFCON and what it stands for. We thought that it was a good opportunity for us to," Botchway explained.

“So, we'll engage our customers there and then to share with them our new brand campaign and to emphasize the things that We want to highlight as we go forward. It's been fantastic. We've had lots of customers come through. We've had lots of customers On -boarding we've had lots of customers using the card. They have seen the benefits and the value that the ecuva card gives them And we were very glad to be able to sponsor The winner of the campaign to go to AFCON and to go watch it live with VIP treatment,” he added.

Dr. Botchway believed that the excitement and the positive feedback the winner came back with really has made them do a bit more in that context. 

He added, “So don't be shocked if you do come back here again and see some of that campaign this year.” 

In response to the evolving banking landscape, Dr. Botchway said technology continues to play a very key role in banking, which he believed that it's about time they ensure that Ecobank meets the customer needs. 

“So that constant engagement with our customers informs us what the customers want, what they desire. And then based on that, we then step back and come up with things that are able to address the needs of the customers. So ensuring that the needs of our customers drive what we do means that we are able to meet the needs of our clients,” he asserts. 

Dr. Botchway continued, “And that, for us, is important. It is not just about showing things to our customers, but understanding what they want and then coming to them with products that would, as it were, address the needs of the customers. And that, for us, has been at the core.”

He reaffirmed Ecobank's focus on developing innovative solutions tailored to African markets and enhancing customer awareness of digital offerings.

“So we've got lots of big data products and I think perhaps one of the things that we would do a bit better this year is to ensure that we inform our customers a lot more about the things that we do have,” he said.

Botchway noted, “I mean, you can open an account with Ecobank in two minutes on your phone. You can pay your taxes on our platforms online. You could do transfers, you could buy airtime, you could do all the things that you want to do on our platforms. 

“You can send money to anybody, anywhere in the world on their Visa card on our platforms. I could go on and on and on and on. These are things that we already have. And in some other cases, our customers are not fully aware. So it's about informing. And I think that's a job that we have to do to inform our clients.”

“And that job will be done. But I think beyond what we already have, there are new products that we are intending to roll out this year.” 

With a presence across 35 African countries, Ecobank aims to provide consistent value and convenience to customers, reflecting the trust placed in the bank with their finances. Botchway reiterated the bank's commitment to financial inclusion, aiming to expand banking access while positively impacting communities and individual lifestyles.

“So, I think there's a lot of opportunity. There's a lot of avenues for us to grow. There are lots of things that we can do, lots of things that we will do. In terms of some of the areas that we are going to focus on, financial inclusion for us in Ecobank would be extremely important,” he said.

Botchway assured that the quality of service in Liberia would match that found elsewhere, acknowledging the trust customers place in the bank with their finances. 

“We’re trying to bring a lot more people into the banking sector. And at the end of the day, for us also, it is not just about being able to make money as Ecobank, it's about bringing value to the community. 

“So you'd find that there would be a lot more that we would be doing in that contest, not just about, again, making money, but what value are we bringing to the country. And those are things that we would try to do a bit more of,” he said.

Looking ahead, he said Ecobank's strategic focus is on financial inclusion, aiming to bring more individuals into the banking sector while making positive contributions to communities. 

Dr. Botchway reiterated the bank's dedication to continuous improvement, both in terms of service offerings and customer awareness of digital products. 

He further expressed unwavering confidence in Ecobank's capacity to support customers and businesses, underscoring the positive impact the bank can have on Liberia and beyond.

With his leadership skills, Botchway said Ecobank is poised to drive innovation, foster inclusion, and empower individuals and businesses across the continent, heralding a promising future of growth and prosperity for all stakeholders.