FirstBank Set to Launch Tailor-made Monetary Providers for Blind and Bodily Challenged Prospects

FirstBank, the premier West African financial institution and a number one monetary inclusion service supplier, is ready to introduce tailor-made monetary companies for blind, partially sighted, and bodily challenged prospects throughout its operations.

This initiative is a part of FirstBank’s broader steady dedication to selling Monetary Inclusion and Range, which is proven in its insurance policies, partnerships and initiatives corresponding to its staff’ 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 enhance 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 according to UN Ladies’s Ladies Empowerment’s Ideas (WEPs) ─ Equal Alternative, Inclusion, and Nondiscrimination.

Commenting on the proposed launch, the Chief Threat Officer and Chairman of the FirstBank Sustainability Committee, Patrick Akhidenor, mentioned, “Everybody deserves entry to monetary companies whether or not bodily or digitally. We recognise this, and we’re offering monetary companies which are each accessible and reasonably priced to visually impaired and bodily challenged prospects in any respect our touchpoints. We’re making it doable for them to handle their accounts independently and securely.”

The initiative will probably be carried out in phases throughout all subsidiaries and areas of the FirstBank Group. Transaction paperwork will probably be made obtainable in braille, audio, giant print, and digital codecs. ATMs will probably be upgraded with high-contrast screens and voice-prompt instructions, whereas playing cards issued will function tactile motifs and braille inscriptions for straightforward recognition. Already current tender PINs and tokens can be enhanced to spice up safe entry to banking channels. Product brochures can even be made obtainable in braille and audio codecs to assist buyer understanding and engagement.

FirstBank’s efforts align with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s monetary inclusion technique and the United Nations Conference on the Rights of Individuals with Disabilities, which advocate equal entry to monetary companies.

With this initiative, FirstBank is shaping a future the place each particular person, no matter bodily skill, can handle their monetary affairs with out third-party help. By embedding accessibility into its core operations, the Financial institution is setting a brand new customary for moral, inclusive, and impactful banking.

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 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 offer full banking companies.

Moreover 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 nations.

For over 13 many years, FirstBank has constructed an excellent status for stable relationships, good company governance, and a robust 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 know-how, innovation and transformation, and its cashless transaction drive has been steadily accentuated with nearly over 25 million lively FirstBank prospects 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 supplies a complete vary of retail and wholesale monetary companies by greater than 820 enterprise places of work and over 280,000 agent areas unfold throughout 772 out of the 774 Native Authorities Areas in Nigeria.

Along with banking options and companies, FirstBank supplies 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 staff’ 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 enhance 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 according to UN Ladies’s Ladies Empowerment’s Ideas (WEPs) ─ Equal Alternative, Inclusion, and Nondiscrimination.

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

Considerably, FirstBank’s International Credit score Score was A+ with a optimistic outlook whereas scores by Fitch and Customary & Poor’s had 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 obtained notable worldwide awards and accolades. A few of these embrace Nigeria’s Greatest Financial institution for ESG 2024 and Nigeria’s Greatest Financial institution for Corporates 2024 each awarded by Euromoney Awards for Excellence; Greatest SME Financial institution in Africa and in Nigeria by The Asian Banker International Awards; Greatest Non-public Financial institution in Nigeria and Greatest Non-public Financial institution for Sustainable Investing in Africa by International Finance Awards; Greatest Company Financial institution in Nigeria 2024, Greatest CSR Financial institution in Nigeria 2024, Greatest Retail Financial institution in Nigeria 2024, Greatest SME Financial institution in Nigeria 2024 and Greatest 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 obtained thus far in 2025 which incorporates Greatest SME Financial institution in Nigeria 2025 and Greatest SME Financial institution in Africa 2025 by The Asian Banker; Greatest Non-public Financial institution in Nigeria 2025 and Greatest 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; Greatest Retail Financial institution in Nigeria 2025 and Greatest Financial institution for Empowering Ladies Entrepreneurs in Nigeria 2025 all by The Annual International Economics Awards.

Our imaginative and prescient is “To be Africa’s Financial institution of first alternative” and our mission is “To stay true to our title by offering the perfect 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 customer-led innovation and disciplined execution.”