Nume Ekeghe and Chiamaka Ozulumba discuss how Access Bank, through its “DiamondXtra” hybrid savings account, has impacted thousands of families over the past 12 years through its array of earnings and consistency in rewarding. his clients.

Over the past 12 seasons, many Nigerians have smiled at the banks with prizes ranging from lifetime salary to scholarships and cash prizes obtained through the DiamondXtra customer savings program.

The DiamondXtra Savings Plan, an interest-earning hybrid account that allows deposits of cash and third-party checks, was first launched in 2008 and has had a significant impact on lives by rewarding loyal customers with money and gifts.

Speaking to THISDAY, Mr. Richard Anyanwu, Season 10 Education Grant winner for 5 years, said: “I am very grateful to Access Bank as this happened at a time when I had it. no longer needed and it helped me take on the burden of paying my children’s school fees. tuition far away from me ”.

“I just got a call telling me that I qualify for the scholarship due to the fact that I have an account in the bank, I was shocked because I was not expecting it and it helped to make my children smile as the issue of paying school fees, no longer became a problem for me.

“The grant would end in April 2022 and I will be eternally grateful to Access Bank for what they have done for me.”

One of the first recipients of the lifetime salary, Ms. Nnena Chukwu was full of joy, according to her, “We were asked to open an account and deposit 5,000 N, which I did and did not. never knew i would win and i didnt believe it yet when they called me i thought it was a scam until it became a reality.

“They have credited my account with N 100,000 every month since I won in 2019 and it has really helped me a lot and I am always grateful to Access Bank for making me smile.”

According to Victor Etuokwu, Executive Director of Personal Banking Services, “DiamondXtra has operated every year since its inception 12 years ago and has seen more than 22,000 customers awarded more than 6 billion Naira in cash and gifts.”

He let it be known that although this is a reward program, entry is quite straightforward as existing customers only need a minimum of 5,000 N on their DiamondXtra account per month while new customers can open a DiamondXtra account with a minimum balance of N 5,000 and grow. the account.

For every N5,000 a customer deposits into their account, they would get a ticket to the draws, so for every N5,000 saved, the more chance the customer has of winning the draws.

During the monthly draws approximately 10 bank clients have the chance to win N 1 million each while for the quarterly draws one lucky client would win the Salaryforlife grand prize of N 100,000 each month for 20 years while the other winners would receive the educational grant for 5 years. years, rent for one year and cash consolidation price ranging from N50,000-N1 million.

Etuokwu added, “The DiamondXtra Reward Program is one of the ways Access Bank creates value and meets the needs of its loyal customers.

“We have been rewarding and changing the lives of our valued customers for 12 years and are delighted to launch the 13th season of this incredible program.”

“This program is one of the most successful deposit products in the country because it not only encourages customers to save their money, earn interest on their savings, but also rewards them as they continue to save with so much. life-transforming prizes and with the launch of this new season, the rewards system has been revitalized and reloaded to create daily winners ”.

As seen in the case of Season 12 winner Ms. Adeola Muliat Adewusi who won 1 million naira and used the prize money to boost her hairstyling business.

She said, “I lost my husband a few months before I earned the million naira and at that time my landlord wanted to evict my family for unpaid rent. Then I got a call that I won, I didn’t believe it until I got to the office and it became real to me ”.

“I was able to pay the rent on my house and use some of the money from the price to grow my business. Access Bank made me smile when I almost lost all hope ”.

Akitiyan Yerimah, another winner of the one-year rent, based in Kaduna state and a client for only three years, said: “It was not stressful because I was not able to go to Lagos to redeem my price, but I was able to get in touch with the branch here in Kaduna and they credited my account.

“I got to know the account through one of the Access Bank staff and grabbed it and continued to save regularly and was called a winner because of my savings attitude. A lot of people think things like this are scams but it’s real even I thought it was a scam at first but as one of the beneficiaries I think a lot of people can too start saving even if it’s a little, they can still have a chance to win ”.

She praised Access Bank, adding that the reward has “gone a long way in solving some financial issues” and urged Nigerians to open a DiamondXtra account and save because the promotion is real and would improve as well. the culture of people’s savings.

For his part, Mr. Robert Giles, Senior Retail Banking Advisor, said, “From the start, DiamondXtra was designed by our clients themselves. They told us that the return on savings was low, but the reason for saving was to transform and improve lives.

Since the initial launch, we’ve shared over five billion cash prizes through daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly draws. We have awarded scholarships, business scholarships and a lifetime salary.

“Season 13 was designed by over 600,000 customers who were interviewed to let them know about the changes they want to see. Our clients have stated that they want to keep the lifetime salary, the business subsidy, and the free rent. They also told us to add a lot of small prizes so that everyone has a chance to win. And finally, they asked us to bring him closer to our home. and that’s why this year we’re taking DiamondXtra to every neighborhood so people can see the difference and share with their friends ”.

Meanwhile, Head of Consumer Banking Group Adaeze Umeh said: “DiamondXtra has grown into a big family and now has around 2.5 million customers and everyone is qualified to earn as long as they have a minimum balance. of 5,000 N and a multiple of N5,000 on their account ”.

She added that the bank had positively impacted over 22,000 families with multiple awards and that Season 13 was going to be an interesting one.

Customers will be rewarded quarterly while bank customers and potential new customers will gain access by opening a DiamondXtra account.

Umeh said that for Season 13, more than 2,000 customers will now be part of consolation prizes each quarter with special attention given to women; for every draw we have, approximately 10 of the winners will be women.

One person would have the opportunity to earn a purchasing allowance of N 100,000 for the next 12 months and nine others will receive N 300,000 each. 14 people will earn around 1 million naira each to pay their rent because there is something for everyone. The only client recommended is the possibility of obtaining the business subsidy and being closer to his home.

According to her, “we have our clusters in all our 600 branches so that all associations, markets, groups of journalists can meet and open a DiamondXtra account with a minimum of 5,000 N and participate in the draw”.

After more than a decade of bringing smiles to its customers with more than 6 billion won in monthly and quarterly cash and giveaways from nearly 20,000 customers and although the merger between Access and Diamond Banks has raised concerns; Access Bank through DiamondXtra has positively impacted the lives of its customers with the reward program.

Although the program was repositioned in 2013 to reach a wider audience, it remains the longest-running rewards program with over two million customers.

And with over 12 years of loyal customer awards under its belt, DiamondXtra, now in its 13th season, has taken it up a notch with the inclusion of insurance coverage in plan benefits. family illness for one year worth 1.6 million naira; an increase in the number of winners for the One Year Rent Prize to 21 by Quarterly Drawing and an N1 Million Corporate Grant.