The Access Bank UK Ltd - Polo Day 2025 - funding 14,000 children in education - building 60 school room blocks in a ten-year UNICEF partnership

LONDON, July 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- It has been ten years since Access Private Bank in partnership with Fifth Chukker and UNICEF hosted the first ACCESS Bank Cup polo matches at Guards Polo Club, Windsor. It is an event that combines the best in polo with philanthropy, elegance, and global advocacy to raise funds for the education of children in Nigeria.  

The starting point was a school with 400 pupils, funds from the annual Polo Cup have built and equipped 60 school blocks directly impacting the lives of 14,000 children offering them a path to learning, growth, and opportunity. Funds raised at this year's ACCESS Polo Cup will support the construction of the next phase of another 60 fully equipped school room blocks.

Jamie Simmonds, Managing Director and CEO of The Access Bank UK Ltd, emphasised the strategic significance of the initiative: "This event reflects the essence of The Access Bank UK's vision, to serve as a bridge between continents, connecting purpose with prosperity. By championing education through this platform, we reinforce our belief that empowering young minds across Africa ultimately shapes a more inclusive and sustainable future for all."

It is an event which also offers a platform for players from Nigeria and the wider African continent to compete alongside and against some of the sport's leading professional players. In 2010 Adolfo Cambiaso, one of the world's greatest players was joined in the competition by his son, then just 11 years old. This year his daughter Mia competed alongside her father, a UNICEF ambassador himself, in the Fifth Chukker team.

This annual charity event has become a hallmark of Access Bank's enduring commitment to sustainable community development, particularly in inclusive education. According to Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman of Access Holdings, "We have used polo at Guards as a platform that unites global changemakers around one common cause, investing in the future of Africa through education. The partnership with Fifth Chukker and UNICEF is symbolic and transformative."

In collaboration with UNICEF, funds raised at this year's event will also go towards the long-term educational needs of children and the communities in rural Nigeria.

Roosevelt Ogbonna, Group Managing Director/ CEO of Access Bank Plc, added: "At Access Bank, we believe education is a fundamental right. By aligning our brand with this purpose, we are proud to demonstrate that financial success and social impact can and must go hand in hand."

"The Access Bank UK Charity Polo Day stands as a compelling example of how corporate leadership, global partnerships, and empathy can co-exist to drive meaningful, lasting change, from Kaduna to the UK, and beyond."

The Access Bank UK Ltd – a wholly owned subsidiary of Access Bank plc it leads the Group's international development across its global network. As 'Africa's International Gateway' in 2024 it won the International Finance award for best African Trade Bank and the Capital Finance International Award for Best African Trade Finance Bank – 2024.

Authorised by the UK's Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and regulated by both the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the PRA in the UK, the Bank is committed to developing a sustainable business model for the environment in which it operates and, line with the ethos of its parent, to developing a sustainable, risk-aware business model suited to the markets in which it operates. This approach is characterised by a moderate risk appetite, a customer-centric culture, and a long-term view of growth.

For further information:

Peter L. Walker  Senior Partner PIELLE Consulting Group
Peter.walker@pielleconsulting.com

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