FIRSTBANK PARTNERS UNGC TO DRIVE SUSTAINABLE FINANCE AND UNLOCK CAPITAL FOR DEVELOPMENT

FirstBank, the West Africa premier monetary establishment and monetary inclusion companies supplier, has strengthened its partnership with the United Nations World Compact (UNGC) to reaffirm its dedication to driving sustainable finance and unlocking capital for improvement. This ongoing partnership was strengthened on the lately concluded Fourth Worldwide Convention on Financing for Improvement (FfD4) hosted by the United Nations Division of Financial and Social Affairs (UN DESA) in Seville, Spain.

The FfD4 Convention introduced collectively world leaders, policymakers, and personal sector consultants to debate revolutionary options to handle the rising SDG financing hole and unlock capital for improvement in fragile and underserved areas.

FirstBank’s Chief Danger Officer, Patrick Akhidenor, represented the financial institution on the convention and highlighted two FirstBank flagship initiatives driving resilience finance in Nigeria: The Photo voltaic Gear Financing initiative and the revamped FirstGem Fund. The Photo voltaic Gear Financing initiative presents tailor-made financing choices for the acquisition and set up of solar energy programs, guaranteeing entry to scrub, dependable, and inexpensive vitality options. The FirstGem Fund, a women-focused proposition, offers single-digit curiosity loans to girls entrepreneurs with out collateral necessities, focusing on funding gaps in vital sectors.

‘’We’re dedicated to driving sustainable finance and unlocking capital for improvement,” mentioned Patrick Akhidenor. “Our partnership with UNGC and participation within the FfD4 Convention show our dedication to revolutionary finance options that tackle the SDG financing hole.”

Sanda Ojambo, CEO of UNGC, emphasised the necessity for revolutionary, inclusive monetary fashions for underserved areas. “The personal sector should play a central function in shaping fit-for-purpose, scalable finance options,” she mentioned. “De-risking instruments and blended finance may help unlock capital and drive significant influence.

FirstBank’s partnership with Improvement Finance Establishments (DFIs) and its SMEConnect hub show its capability to guide efforts in sustainable finance. The financial institution offers coaching, networking, and tailor-made financing to SMEs throughout numerous sectors, together with schooling, healthcare, and retail

About FirstBank

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

FirstBank’s worldwide footprints lower 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 offer full banking companies.

Apart from offering home banking companies, the subsidiaries additionally have interaction 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 13 many years, FirstBank has constructed an excellent status for stable relationships, good company governance, and a powerful liquidity place, and has been on the forefront of selling digital cost within the nation with over 13 million playing cards issued to clients (the primary financial institution to realize such a milestone in Nigeria). FirstBank has continued to make vital investments in know-how, innovation and transformation, and its cashless transaction drive has been steadily accentuated with nearly over 25 million lively FirstBank clients signed up on digital channels together with the USSD Fast Banking service by the nationally famend *894# Banking code.

With over 43 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 companies by greater than 820 enterprise places of work and over 280,000 agent places unfold throughout 772 out of the 774 Native Authorities Areas in Nigeria.

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

FirstBank’s dedication to Range is proven in its insurance policies, partnerships and initiatives corresponding to its workers’ ratio of feminine to male (about 41%:59%; and 37% girls in administration roles) in addition to the FirstBank Ladies Community, an initiative that seeks to handle the gender hole and improve the participation of girls in any respect ranges throughout the organisation.  As well as, the Financial institution’s membership of the UN Ladies is an affirmation of a deliberate coverage that’s in line with UN Ladies’s Ladies Empowerment’s Ideas (WEPs) ─ Equal Alternative, Inclusion, and Nondiscrimination.

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

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

In 2024, FirstBank acquired notable worldwide awards and accolades. 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 World Awards; Finest Non-public Financial institution in Nigeria and Finest Non-public Financial institution for Sustainable Investing in Africa by World 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 World Banking and Finance Awards.

FirstBank has continued to realize extensive acclaim on the worldwide stage with a number of worldwide awards and recognitions acquired up to now in 2025 which incorporates Finest SME Financial institution in Nigeria 2025 and Finest SME Financial institution in Africa 2025 by The Asian Banker; Finest Non-public Financial institution in Nigeria 2025 and Finest Non-public Financial institution for Sustainable Investing in Africa 2025 by World Finance Awards; SME Financier of the 12 months in Nigeria 2025 by The Digital Banker World SME Banking Innovation Awards; Finest Retail Financial institution in Nigeria 2025 and Finest Financial institution for Empowering Ladies Entrepreneurs in Nigeria 2025 all by The Annual World Economics 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 companies 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.”

Olayinka Ijabiyi

Ag. Group Head, Advertising and marketing & Company Communications

First Bank of Nigeria Restricted