A total of 36 students have received various scholarships valued at N8 million from Intercontinental Diamond Fund (IDF), a product of Intercontinental Bank Plc.

Speaking at the 16th IDF Customers Night in Lagos, the CEO of the bank Dr. Erastus Akingbola said that, to ensure that all IDF customers have a sense of belonging through the product, the bank recently approved an Annual youth Empowerment Programme, for the wards of all IDF account holders.
"The programme is aimed at equipping participants with the necessary entrepreneurial skills that will not only make them independent but future employers of labour.
Akingbola also said that by the end of the current financial year, the bank will have at least 300 branches across the country.

"In addition to product expansion and reach, we are also getting closer to all segments of our market through branch network expansion.
"By the end of our current financial year we shall have at least 300 branches across the country and in our next strategic expansion plan, we target to be in 500 locations in the country. Beyond expansion in Nigeria our bank has taken steps to become truly intercontinental. We have embarked on a global expansion programme which has seen us opening our first international subsidiary. Intercontinental Bank (Ghana) Limited, with head office in Accra early last year. More subsidiaries are set to open in London, New York, Jo’bourg, Abidjan Free Town and Darkar by next year. Our target is to be in all continents of the world by 2010 and we are confident it is achievable".

Also speaking at the event, the chairman of the bank Dr. Raymond Obieri assured all patrons of IDF that the product is poised to retain its position as the flagship investment product in the Nigerian environment
He said, since the last IDF Night, the bank has introduced a gamut of other cutting-edge products including Happily Life Consumer Product.

The Happy Life Consumer Product is a loan facility specially designed to improve the quality of life and well being of customers. It also offers individuals, companies and co-operatives easy access to funds and assets with convenient repayment plans.