Bank of Kigali (BK) has awarded three outstanding graduates from the University of Technology and Arts of Byumba (UTAB) with cash prizes in recognition of academic excellence, as part of a partnership aimed at nurturing talent, supporting higher education and creating employment opportunities for top-performing students. The awards were presented during UTAB's 15th graduation ceremony, where 1,474 students graduated from various academic programmes. Each of the three best-performing graduates received Rwf1 million, an initiative that forms part of a long-standing partnership between the bank and the university. Recognising top graduates for academic excellence Among the award recipients was Ruth Nikwigize, who graduated in Accounting and emerged as one of the university's best-performing students. I am very happy to receive this award as the best performer. I am grateful to the Bank of Kigali for recognising my efforts, she said. Nikwigize said the award would motivate her to further her education. I will use this award as motivation to continue my studies. I am ready to pursue a master's degree because it will help me secure better career opportunities,” she said. “Such a recognition motivates students to work harder, and I am grateful to BK for partnering with our university. Another recipient, Felicien Nshimiyimana, who graduated in Mathematics and Biology, said the award was proof that commitment and perseverance pay off. What helped me perform well was hard work, courage and commitment throughout my studies. This award is a strong motivation because it shows that hard work pays off, and I am grateful to Bank of Kigali for recognising our efforts, he said. From talent development to financial services: Expanding BK-UTAB partnership Francis Gatete, the Bank of Kigali Branch Manager in Gicumbi, said the partnership goes beyond rewarding academic excellence, helping the university save resources while creating opportunities for outstanding graduates. We are implementing the partnership we have with UTAB, which provides for rewarding the best performers. We are giving cash prizes, and in doing so, we are also supporting the university,” Gatete said. “This allows the university to save resources and use them for other purposes.” The partnership also serves as a talent pipeline for BK, enabling the bank to identify and recruit promising UTAB graduates. So far, we have recruited five best graduates who will serve as digital sales ambassadors, and we can employ more depending on available positions he said. The partnership also extends to financial services, with BK supporting students and the university community through its Urubuto programme, which enables tuition fee payments through the bank. We also work with UTAB through the Urubuto programme, which students use to pay tuition fees. As a bank, we receive deposits that support our business activities while providing convenient services to students and the university, he said, noting that the University staff also use the Bank to acquire loans with small interest rates for their respective investments. Supporting UTAB’s infrastructure growth while deepening business ties The bank is also exploring opportunities to finance the university's future infrastructure expansion. We are also in talks to support the university's expansion. If everything goes well, we will finance the construction of the buildings they are planning. We have previously financed infrastructure development for the university, and we continue to explore more opportunities to support its growth. Gatete described UTAB as an important business partner, saying the relationship benefits both institutions. He indicated that the partnership also strengthens the bank's business by growing its customer base through the university community. According to Gatete, more than 10,000 members of the university community use Bank of Kigali's products and services, contributing to the bank's deposits while serving as ambassadors for the institution.
