Actor, Charles Okafor Unveiled as Brand Ambassador for AG Mortgage Bank

Yinka Olatunbosun

In a wine and dine atmosphere last weekend in Lagos, the Nollywood actor, Charles Okafor was unveiled as the brand ambassador for AG Mortgage Bank.

The announcement came on the heels of the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between AG Mortgage Bank and Ndi Igbo Amaka Amalgamated Market Association at the Festival Hotel, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos.

The bank which had been providing mortgage solutions for families and business owners is on a mission to cater for no fewer than 58 businesses in Lagos to create a secured business environment for traders.

At the partnership dinner which was kicked off with the kolanut breaking tradition, the Managing Director and CEO, AG Mortgage Bank, Ngozi Anyogu remarked that family development is the core strategy of the institution.

“Our intention is to ensure that provide shelter to families across the country and when you provide shelter, you also need to empower families to put food on the table.

“So, we identified some groups that we would work with to provide commercial mortgages for shops, stalls, joint ventures in mall development so that not all only will people be sheltered but people will also be employed but each shop will have an average of seven persons employed.

“For reachshop, there is bound to be the shop owner, and a couple people who are interns. What we are doing will create employment and empower families,’’ he said.

While reflecting on the choice of the brand ambassador, he added that Okafor’s persona reflects the shared value of integrity of the organisation.

Okafor, who was also the compere for the exciting evening gushed about the new brand assignment.

“For a brand to identify you as their brand ambassador, they must have done their due diligence to make sure that they don’t place the image of their institution in the wrong hands. I feel humbled, happy and fulfilled,’ he said.

A formal presentation of a brand new Hilux pickup truck to Ndi Igbo Amaka brought an exciting twist to the evening. One of the highlights of the projects in the pipeline is the construction of smart ultra-modern shopping mall in tandem with the needs of business owners and their desires to sure their businesses.

Simon Ogwu the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, AG Mortgage Bank who spoke on the shared attributes that made the partnership possible while giving insight into the nature of the structures to be provided for the resilient Ibo traders.

“You can see the hunger from the traders in terms of finance not to support their business now but to be able to house their business by providing commercial properties.

“You can see the strategic goal of the bank being tailored towards providing the mortgage financing to make shop ownership affordable and easy for shop owners. That is a major feature.

“As my MD has said, once there is a faithful towards the meeting of obligations especially from the traders, we also are going to be faithful towards funding each of their requests.

“Demonstrably, we have started funding some of the market structures in Aba. We are funding technology market in Enugu.

“The Enyimba Mall in Aba is an electronic one. All the doors and signage are electronically controlled.

“We are taking market to another level. We provide the features for security and that includes being able to see the shop when you are not physically present at the facility.

“You can then control what happens within your business environment. The world has become a global village so we go into developing eco-friendly homes and shops, smart shops and smart homes.

“The major drivers of the economy are the traders. You can argue that anywhere. They don’t deserve anything less than the best,’’ he said.

The President of Ndi Igbo Amaka, Lagos, Dr. JudeRingo Okeke believes that the partnership is indeed a divine one.

“They have brought banking to the doorstep of businessmen and we can access loan and do business with AG Mortgage Bank easily. The prospects are high. The MD has just demonstrated that he believes in the caliber of people that made up the association,’’ he remarked.