Ecobank, Red Cross partner to boost leadership in Africa

Ecobank Academy and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) join hands in an effort to boost effective and sustainable leadership capabilities

Ecobank (www.Ecobank.com) is proud to announce that its prestigious Ecobank Academy will be training 150 senior leaders of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) from 45 African countries this week to strengthen their leadership skills with regard to helping the communities they serve.

The IFRC is leveraging its partnership with Ecobank to upscale its capabilities through training to enhance its work in local communities. The three day ‘IFRC Africa Region Leadership Forum’ training course is being provided by the Ecobank Academy. The Academy delivers world-class management development courses and is the first pan-African corporate university as well as being one of the largest capability development centres in Africa.

The aim of the course is ‘Building African National Society leadership to be proud of’ and it will include training on leadership skills, leading National Societies effectively, partnership management, governance and responsibility, risk management and controls, sustainability, integrity and transparency, youth and gender engagement and the opportunities of digitization.

Simon Rey, Group Head, Ecobank Academy and Carl Manlan, COO of Ecobank Foundation, said: “The Ecobank Academy and Ecobank Foundation have worked closely with the IFRC to devise training courses for their national leaders covering key leadership skills such as governance, accountability and sustainability. We have built a strong relationship with the IFRC and it is hugely gratifying that we can play a role in their impactful work supporting suffering communities.”

Dr. Fatoumata Nafo-Traoré, IFRC’s Regional Director for Africa, commented: “At the IFRC we recognise that leadership is about solving problems. The training that our African leaders will receive from the Ecobank Academy will successfully position them to devise solutions to the challenges they face. Ecobank’s support in this, and in many other ways, is proving to be an invaluable asset in our work to address health, disasters and crises affecting communities throughout the African continent.”

Ecobank and the IFRC signed a partnership agreement in November 2018 to work closely together to empower local communities to cope with disasters more efficiently. In addition to providing training, Ecobank is leveraging its digital banking and QR code capabilities to boost IFRC’s fundraising. Initiatives on behalf of IFRC National Societies by Ecobank’s affiliate companies have seen the setting up of digital membership records and enrolment processes, Ecobank staff volunteering to help in communities facing crisis, and the receipt of First Aid training from IFRC volunteers.