FirstBank Retains High Spot as Nigeria’s Finest Financial institution for ESG At 2025 Euromoney Awards

FirstBank, the West African premier monetary establishment and monetary inclusion companies supplier, has emerged as Nigeria’s Finest Financial institution for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) on the prestigious Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025, held not too long ago in London. This marks FirstBank’s second consecutive win within the ESG class, affirming its management in sustainable finance and accountable banking throughout Nigeria.

The Euromoney Awards for Excellence are considered probably the most coveted accolades within the world monetary business. The extremely aggressive choice course of entails rigorous evaluation and evaluation, measuring efficiency in opposition to strategic and impact-oriented standards.

The Financial institution earned the award by way of its deepened sustainability commitments embedded throughout its operations and group initiatives. In 2024, FirstBank screened 237 transactions value over ₦3 trillion for sustainability dangers, integrating ESG issues into its credit score framework.

Amongst its flagship sustainability initiatives, FirstBank commenced a tree planting marketing campaign in partnership with Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), planting over 30,000 bushes in 16 places throughout Nigeria. This was the primary part of its 50,000-tree initiative, projected to soak up roughly 720 tonnes of CO₂ by the tip of 2025, contributing to local weather resilience and supporting biodiversity preservation.

FirstBank has been proactive in gender inclusion by way of the Gender Market Technique, disbursing over ₦43 billion FirstGem loans to women-led companies in 2024. The Financial institution’s dedication to inclusive banking noticed a big improve within the value of transactions facilitated by FirstMonie brokers to over ₦9 trillion.

The Financial institution prioritises ESG/sustainability capability constructing, evidenced by the coaching of over 9000 staff, and its webinars and workshops reaching over 2,000 SMEs and corporates. The financial institution’s funding in management for over 2,000 feminine staff by way of the FirstBank Girls Community has demonstrated a devoted structural dedication to cultivating a educated and various workforce catering to the dynamic ESG panorama.

Commenting on the award, the Chief Threat Officer of the Financial institution in addition to the Chairman of the FirstBank Sustainability Committee, Patrick Akhidenor stated, “We’re honoured to obtain this prestigious award for the second time in a row, which is a validation of our efforts to create a sustainable and inclusive future for all our stakeholders. Our method to sustainability is hinged on three pillars: training, well being and welfare; range and monetary inclusion; accountable lending, procurement and local weather initiatives”

He added: “We stay targeted on driving affect by way of purposeful initiatives and inclusive development, making certain that our ESG efforts proceed to create significant change in communities throughout Nigeria and past.”

The continued success in ESG and sustainability is pushed by FirstBank’s imaginative and prescient to be Africa’s financial institution of first selection, main with goal, duty, and innovation.

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 minimize 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 companies.

In addition to offering home banking companies, 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 international locations.

For over 13 a long time, 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 cost within the nation with over 13 million playing cards issued to prospects (the primary financial institution to realize 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 over 25 million energetic FirstBank prospects signed up on digital channels together with the USSD Fast Banking service by way of 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 gives a complete vary of retail and wholesale monetary companies by way of 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 gives pension fund custody companies in Nigeria by way of First Pension Custodian Nigeria Restricted and nominee and related companies by way of First Nominees Nigeria Restricted.

FirstBank’s dedication to Range is proven in its insurance policies, partnerships and initiatives reminiscent of its staff’ ratio of feminine to male (about 41%:59%; and 37% girls in administration roles) in addition to the FirstBank Girls Community, an initiative that seeks to deal with the gender hole and improve the participation of ladies in any respect ranges throughout the organisation.  As well as, the Financial institution’s membership of the UN Girls is an affirmation of a deliberate coverage that’s in keeping with UN Girls’s Girls 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 Instances Group and “Finest Retail Financial institution in Nigeria” eight occasions in a row, 2011 – 2018, by the Asian Banker Worldwide Excellence in Retail Monetary Providers Awards.

Considerably, FirstBank’s International Credit score Ranking was A+ with a optimistic outlook whereas scores by Fitch and Commonplace & Poor’s have been A (nga) and ngBBB+ respectively each with Secure 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 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.

FirstBank has continued to achieve broad acclaim on the worldwide stage with a number of worldwide awards and recognitions acquired to date 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 International Finance Awards; SME Financier of the Yr in Nigeria 2025 by The Digital Banker International SME Banking Innovation Awards; Finest Retail Financial institution in Nigeria 2025 and Finest Financial institution for Empowering Girls Entrepreneurs in Nigeria 2025 all by The Annual International 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 title by offering the very best 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 development in profitability by way of customer-led innovation and disciplined execution.”

Olayinka Ijabiyi

Ag. Group Head, Advertising and marketing & Company Communications

First Bank of Nigeria Restricted