FirstBank Host Fintech Summit 6.0, Launches Fintech Innovators Pitch Programme

Lagos, Nigeria – November 6. FirstBank, the premier West African monetary establishment and monetary inclusion service supplier is worked up to announce its sixth annual Fintech Summit, themed “Banking on Partnerships,” scheduled to carry on November 13 and 14, 2024. This yr’s version will deliver collectively famend subject material specialists, innovators, and trade leaders from world wide to discover the most recent traits and developments in monetary expertise.

Since its inception in 2016, the FirstBank Fintech Summit has established itself as a premier occasion, attracting prime subject material specialists in digital innovation from Nigeria and across the globe. Whereas the Summit transitioned on-line in 2020 as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, this yr’s occasion will probably be hosted as a hybrid affair, enabling individuals from world wide to interact with famend audio system and insightful dialogue.

A key spotlight of this yr’s summit is the launch of the Fintech Innovators Pitch Programme, designed to empower early-stage fintech startups and domesticate innovation inside the monetary providers ecosystem. Chosen startups will profit from intensive coaching and mentorship, culminating in a chance to pitch their groundbreaking options to FirstBank, outstanding traders, and trade specialists.  Successful Startups will obtain important help from FirstBank to propel their merchandise to market, together with strategic steering, sources, and entry to an enormous community.

The FirstBank Fintech Summit 6.0 guarantees a dynamic lineup of periods and invaluable networking alternatives, positioning it as a must-attend gathering for trade leaders and innovators. The 2-day Summit will function knowledgeable keynote addresses and panel discussions, regulatory roundtable, investor roundtable, hearth chats and masterclasses.

Emmanuel Daniel, the founding father of TAB International—a analysis, publication, and consulting agency recognized for platforms like The Asian Banker, Wealth and Society, The Banking Academy, and TAB Insights—will probably be a key speaker on the upcoming occasion. He will probably be joined by Olusegun Alebiosu, the Managing Director and CEO of FirstBank Group, together with a lineup of distinguished visitor audio system and panellists which embody Dr. (Mrs) Markie Idowu, GMD/CEO of Xpress Cost Options Restricted; ’DeRemi Atanda, Managing Director of Remita; Tomilola Majekodunmi, Co-Founder and CEO of Bankly; Obi Emetarom, Co-Founder and CEO of ZONE; Oladipo Alabede, Regional Managing Director, West Africa (Buying) Community Worldwide; Obianuju Odukwe, VP of Digital & API Ecosystems at Interswitch Group; Ashley Immanuel, Co-Founder and COO of SemiColon; Chijioke Dozie, Co-Founding father of Carbon; Yewande Sulaiman, Managing and Product Guide at ProduqtEdge.

With its hybrid format, individuals from world wide can entry the identical high quality of discussions and audio system. To register for the Fintech Summit, individuals can click on on https://fintech.firstbanknigeria.com/#/?lang=en

Talking on the Summit, the CEO FirstBank Group, Olusegun Alebiosu mentioned “This yr’s summit offers a platform to unite trade leaders, innovators, regulators, and thought leaders to discover how collaboration and partnerships can form the way forward for monetary providers and expertise. As FirstBank continues to guide in innovation, this occasion presents one other distinctive alternative to interact with key stakeholders and deepen our understanding of rising traits within the Fintech panorama emphasizing our function not solely as a participant but additionally as a number one and most popular accomplice within the Fintech area.”

The FirstBank Fintech Summit is without doubt one of the initiatives that the Financial institution has established to drive innovation and foster progress within the monetary expertise sector. By bringing collectively thought leaders and disruptors within the area, the Summit serves as a catalyst for transformative concepts and collaboration.

About FirstBank

First Bank of Nigeria Restricted “FirstBank”, established in 1894, is the premier financial institution in West Africa, a number one monetary inclusion providers supplier in Africa, and a digital banking big.

FirstBank’s worldwide footprints reduce throughout three continents ─ Africa, Europe and Asia, with FirstBank UK Restricted in London and Paris; FirstBank in The Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea and Sierra Leone; FBNBank in Senegal; and a FirstBank Consultant Workplace in Beijing, China. All of the subsidiary banks are totally registered by their respective Central Banks to supply full banking providers.

In addition to offering home banking providers, the subsidiaries additionally interact in worldwide cross-border transactions with FirstBank’s non-Nigerian subsidiaries, and the consultant places of work in Paris and China facilitate commerce flows from Asia and Europe into Nigeria and different African nations.

For over 130 years, FirstBank has constructed an impressive popularity for strong relationships, good company governance, and a powerful liquidity place, and has been on the forefront of selling digital fee within the nation with over 13 million playing cards issued to prospects (the primary financial institution to attain such a milestone in Nigeria). FirstBank has continued to make vital investments in expertise, innovation and transformation, and its cashless transaction drive has been steadily accentuated with nearly 23 million energetic FirstBank prospects signed up on digital channels together with the USSD Fast Banking service by the nationally famend *894# Banking code.

With over 42 million buyer accounts (together with digital wallets) unfold throughout Nigeria, UK and sub-Saharan Africa, the Financial institution offers a complete vary of retail and wholesale monetary providers by greater than 820 enterprise places of work and over 243,400 agent places unfold throughout 772 out of the 774 Native Authorities Areas in Nigeria.

Along with banking options and providers, FirstBank offers pension fund custody providers in Nigeria by First Pension Custodian Nigeria Restricted and nominee and related providers by First Nominees Nigeria Restricted.

FirstBank’s dedication to Variety is proven in its insurance policies, partnerships and initiatives resembling its staff’ ratio of feminine to male (about 39%:61%; and 32% girls in administration) in addition to the FirstBank Ladies Community, an initiative that seeks to handle the gender hole and enhance the participation of ladies in any respect ranges inside the organisation.  As well as, the Financial institution’s membership of the UN Ladies is an affirmation of a deliberate coverage that’s in step with UN Ladies’s Ladies Empowerment’s Ideas (WEPs) ─ Equal Alternative, Inclusion, and Nondiscrimination.

For six consecutive years (2011 – 2016), FirstBank was named “Most Worthwhile Financial institution Model in Nigeria” by the globally famend The Banker Journal of the Monetary Instances Group and “Finest Retail Financial institution in Nigeria” eight instances in a row, 2011 – 2018, by the Asian Banker Worldwide Excellence in Retail Monetary Providers Awards.

In 2023, FirstBank obtained notable awards together with “Finest Non-public Financial institution for Sustainable Investing in Africa 2023” by International Finance Awards; “Finest Sustainable Financial institution in Nigeria 2023” by Worldwide Traders Awards; “Finest Bespoke Banking Providers in Nigeria 2023” by Worldwide Traders Awards; “Finest Monetary Inclusion Service Supplier in Nigeria 2023” by Digital Banker Africa; and “African Financial institution of the 12 months” by African Management Journal; ’’Finest Company Financial institution in Nigeria 2023’’ by Euromoney Awards and ‘’Most Revolutionary Banking Model – Nigeria 2023’’ by International Manufacturers Award.

Considerably, FirstBank’s International Credit score Ranking was A+ with a optimistic outlook whereas rankings by Fitch and Normal & Poor’s had been A (nga) and ngBBB+ respectively each with Steady outlooks as at September 2023. FirstBank maintained the identical stage of worldwide credit score rankings because the sovereign; a milestone that was achieved in 2022 for the primary time since 2015.

FirstBank continued to achieve broad acclaim on the worldwide stage with a number of worldwide awards and recognitions obtained to this point in 2024. A few of these embody Nigeria’s Finest Financial institution for ESG 2024 and Nigeria’s Finest Financial institution for Corporates 2024 each awarded by Euromoney Awards for Excellence; Finest SME Financial institution in Africa and in Nigeria by The Asian Banker International Awards; Finest Non-public Financial institution in Nigeria and Finest Non-public Financial institution for Sustainable Investing in Africa by International Finance Awards; Finest Company Financial institution in Nigeria 2024, Finest CSR Financial institution in Nigeria 2024, Finest Retail Financial institution in Nigeria 2024, Finest SME Financial institution in Nigeria 2024 and Finest Non-public Financial institution in Nigeria 2024 all awarded by the International Banking and Finance Awards.

Our imaginative and prescient is “To be Africa’s Financial institution of first selection” and our mission is “To stay true to our identify by offering the most effective monetary providers doable”. This dedication is anchored on our core values of EPIC – Entrepreneurship, Professionalism, Innovation and Buyer-Centricity. Our strategic ambition is “To ship accelerated progress in profitability by customer-led innovation and disciplined execution” and our model promise is at all times to ship the final word “gold customary” of worth and excellence to place You First in each respect.

Folake Ani-Mumuney

Group Head, Advertising and marketing & Company Communications

First Bank of Nigeria Restricted.