By Christopher Nnanta InvestAdvocate

Lagos (INVESTADVOCATE)-Access Bank Plc Tuesday announced that it will partner the Consumer Protection Council, (CPC) in the celebration of this year’s World Consumer Rights Day, (WCRD) on March 15, 2012 in Abuja Nigeria.

This is contained in a Statement by Fafore Olusegun Michael, Team Lead, Media Relations and Issues Management of Access Bank and made available to www.investadvocateng.com in Lagos Nigeria.

According to the Statement, the partnership with the CPC, a Parastatal of the Federal Government of Nigeria saddled with the mandate of ensuring consumers interest received due consideration at the appropriate forum is an affirmation of the Bank’s commitment to consumer wellbeing.

“The Bank, through its innovative offerings and specialised products that have offered solutions to myriad of financial needs of its customers, has empowered consumers of banking products and services in the Nigerian banking landscape in numerous ways. Access Bank’s “Customer is King” service philosophy has significantly redefined banking operations and has become a core tenet in the industry service-attitude” the Statement said.

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Access Bank’s Group Managing Director (GMD), in celebrating this year’s World Consumers Rights Day with other customer-focussed organisations across the globe, will be joining Ify Umenyi, Director General (DG) of the Consumer Protection Council, to flag-off this year’s campaign theme “Our money, our rights: campaigning for real choice in financial services.”

The Statement affirmed that Access Bank has pioneered a number of industry defining customer-oriented initiatives aimed at ensuring that customers are treated fairly. “Amongst these initiatives is the establishment of the 1^st Customer Ombudsman Unit in the Nigerian banking sector. The unit is charged with the sole responsibility of facilitating timely resolution of all customer complaints while ensuring confidentiality” the Statement said.

Following this, the Bank opened a state-of-the-art 24/7 contact centre to facilitate interaction between the Bank and its customers with a view to resolving customers’ complaints. “These initiatives are a clear demonstration of the Bank’s commitment to customers’ welfare which aligns with global best practice and dictates of modern business operations as outlined in ISO 9000 to 9003 standards” Access Bank said.

The World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) is an annual occasion for celebration and solidarity within the international consumer movement. It marks the date in 1962 when President John F Kennedy first outlined the definition of Consumer Rights.

WCRD is an opportunity to promote the basic rights of all consumers, for demanding that those rights are respected and protected, and for protesting the market abuses and social injustices which undermine them.