Zenith Bank Ghana staff, customers, directors and guests took to the streets of Accra for the bank’s annual health walk, held as part of its 21st anniversary celebrations on the theme “21 Years of Excellence, A Future of Possibilities.”
The walk, patronised by over a thousand participants started from the bank’s head office and passed through Adabraka, Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Ring Road before ending back at the Zenith Bank headquarters.
Managing Director and CEO Henry Onwuzurigbo welcomed participants and described the event as the biggest health walk in the Ghanaian banking industry. Members of the Ghana Wheelchair Basketball Federation joined the walk, alongside regulators, partners, vendors, media and past and present staff.
“We don’t joke with the health of our workers”
Mr Onwuzurigbo said the walk was meant to energise the body and encourage people to look after their health.
“At Zenith, we don’t joke with the health of our workers, the health of our customers and our clients,” he said, adding that everyone had been invited, from directors to customers.
He said even people used to exercise would find the aerobic session different from what they were used to, and that it would help invigorate them.
A healthy workforce, he said, is the starting point. “You cannot be working with people who are sick.” He described banking as a demanding job that needs energetic and strong people.
From head office to the branches
The bank holds the walk once a year, during its anniversary. Mr Onwuzurigbo said the idea has spread beyond head office. Branches now organise their own mini health walks, with all staff taking part, and some customers invite the bank to join their own events.
One customer, he said, began supporting a marathon after learning about the idea from Zenith’s annual event.
“People are keying into it. We can see it resonating, and people speak so much about the health benefits,” he said.
He added that the walk also brings people together. Some participants, he noted, had not seen many of their colleagues and customers for a long time until they met on the route.
“The impact of such a programme or health walk is quite enormous,” Mr Onwuzurigbo said.
Board Chairman Charles Nimako said Zenith Bank Ghana grew its profitability tremendously even as profits fell across much of the industry. He thanked staff for their hard work and customers for their continued support.
