Jaiz Bank: Non-Muslim Customers Have Accessed N1bn Loans

James Emejo in Abuja

The newly appointed Managing Director/Chief Executive, Jaiz Bank Plc, Dr. Sirajo Salisu, has said non-Muslim customers have accessed loans worth over N1 billion from the Islamic bank.

He insisted that contrary to insinuations, there is no religious coloration to non-interest banking as it is purely a business concept that is built around the Sharia Law.

Speaking during an interaction with journalists in Abuja, Salisu said under the Islamic banking model, non-Muslims can be shareholders and staff, stressing that the bank is not discriminatory as erroneously alleged in some quarters.

He said under his leadership, the bank would step up its campaign to disabuse non-Muslims in the country of their mistaken beliefs about the nature of its services.

He explained that Islamic banking is transaction-based and built on the principles of equity, trust, transparency, and mutual interest.

The Jaiz Bank boss said, “There are so many Nigerians that are non-Muslims but who have benefitted from Islamic financing” from the bank.

He took over from Mr. Hassan Usman whose tenure ended after retirement on October 15.

On assumption of office, he assured stakeholders of building on the achievements of his predecessor to propel the bank to greater heights.

He said, “As we look ahead into the next phase of our bank, we will continually show up as our best selves, and meet the challenges of our world so that we can build a future in which we thrive together.”

Until his appointment, Salisu held several senior and executive positions in the bank including as Regional Manager South, Chief Risk Officer, and Executive Director, Business Development North where he served diligently in providing key strategic direction to grow the bank’s business in the Northern region.