President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, are among the high-profile dignitaries expected to attend the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria’s 19th Annual Banking and Finance Conference.

The flagship event, widely regarded as the largest gathering of banking and financial professionals in Africa, is scheduled to hold on 8 and 9 September 2026, at the Congress Hall, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, with virtual participation streaming globally. Over 10,000 delegates, including banking executives, regulators, government officials, fintech leaders, and development partners, are expected to attend.

The announcement was made during a media briefing in Lagos on Tuesday, where the CIBN President and Chairman of Council, Dr Dele Alabi, emphasised the strategic importance of the gathering and how it aligns with the institute’s agenda.

He said, “The theme of this year’s conference, ‘Building a Resilient Economy in an Era of Disruptions: Strategic Imperatives for the Banking and Financial Services Industry,’ could not be timelier.

“As the global economy continues to navigate technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainties, evolving customer expectations, cybersecurity risks, and climate-related challenges, resilience has become the defining attribute of successful financial systems. This year’s conference also aligns strongly with the institute’s strategic direction under my administration’s IMPACT vision, which focuses on Inclusion, Membership Economy, Professionalism, Accountability, Competencies, and Technology.”

Similarly, the Chairman of the Consultative Committee for the conference and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Wema Bank Plc, Moruf Oseni, noted that the resolutions reached at the summit would be published as a communiqué to guide national economic policy formulation.

Oseni was represented at the occasion by an Executive Director of Wema Bank, Mr Segun Opeke.

Responding to questions on the impact of previous editions, Alabi recalled the discussions at last year’s conference, which focused on the new economic playbook and the interplay between policy and technology.

“What we normally do at the end of our conference, because we do not want to just have a conference without impact, is to make actionable recommendations and take them very seriously. At the end of every conference, top-level industry experts prepare an executive summary of our core recommendations, and we ensure that we follow through on their implementation using a checklist.

“In practical terms, one of the major achievements from last year’s conference was highlighting the need for synergy between monetary and fiscal policies. We strongly recommended to the Minister of Finance that such synergy is critical for the Nigerian economy to move forward,” Alabi explained.

Other key dignitaries expected at the conference include the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Olayemi Cardoso, and the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Mr Mathew Verghis, who will deliver the keynote address.

The two-day conference will feature high-level panel discussions covering bank recapitalisation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, systemic risk, as well as landmark initiatives specifically designed to engage female leaders and next-generation fintech innovators.