Capacity Building: Firstbank Trains Journalists In London

Posted by African Examiner Business News, Latest Headlines Tuesday, May 26th, 2015

As part of its intervention programme and in sync with its engagement strategy for brand building and media empowerment, First Bank of Nigeria Limited has sponsored 10 journalists for a weeklong training in London, United Kingdom.

FirstBank begins 3rd Media Empowerment Training in London

The training programme which started three years ago with 15 journalists selected across media houses and writing beats to acquire advanced skills in journalism. This years’ training, the third, after highly successful first two editions in 2013 and 2014 brings together journalists from both print and electronic media to learn modern techniques of sustainable financial reporting for the future of Nigeria in the digital age.

The training programme which focuses on macroeconomic analysis, financial journalism, social media news reporting & integration, corporate responsibility & sustainability will run till Thursday. May 28, 2015.

Declaring the training open, Folake Ani-Mumuney, Group Head Marketing & Corporate Communications for FirstBank, said “In furtherance of FirstBank’s drive to support knowledge–based journalism among Nigerian practitioners, the Bank decided to partner with the UK Based Media training firm, Philip Harrison Associates International to organize a training and excursion programme for select Nigerian Journalists.”

She implored participants to take advantage of this unique training to equip themselves in order to boosts their reportage skills that would in turn help to boost the socio economic development of Nigeria and the world in general.

Highlights of the training include a three day rigorous classroom work where participants will be taken through the rudiments of macroeconomic reporting. The lecturer for this course, Mr. John Coppock discussed with journalists on where we are now with global economics. Discussions will also hold on economic comparism between Britain and Nigeria’s place in the world money talks, such as the main types of market and what to look out for when reporting; Derivatives such as oil futures, interbank finance and the new threat of cybercrime.

The training programme will be rounded up with courtesy visits to the London Stock Exchange LSE, London West End , British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and other leading media houses in the UK. FirstBank has in the past three years sponsored the training of over 100 media professionals in its Media Empowerment Programme both locally and abroad.

About FirstBank

First Bank of Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc, is Nigeria’s leading financial services institution by total assets and gross earnings and one of the largest corporate and retail banking financial institutions in sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa). Since its establishment in 1894, the Bank has consistently built relationships with customers focusing on fundamentals of good corporate governance, strong liquidity, risk management and strong capitalization.

FirstBank operates an extensive distribution network with over 750 business locations (623 branches, 61 quick service points and 69 cash centers/agencies), over 2,500 ATM’s and over 9 million customer accounts. The Bank provides a comprehensive range of financial services and has international presence through its subsidiaries, FBN Bank (UK) Limited in London and Paris, FBNBank DR Congo, FBNBank Ghana, International Commercial Bank (ICB) The Gambia, Guinea, Sierra-Leone and Senegal as well as its Representative Offices in Johannesburg, Beijing and Abu Dhabi.

FirstBank is the recipient of many awards. The Bank has been named “The Best Bank Brand in Nigeria” four times in a row – 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 – by the globally renowned “The Banker Magazine” of the Financial Times Group. FirstBank’s brand purpose is to always put its stakeholders, customers and partners at the heart of its business, even as it is poised to standardize customer experience and excellence in financial solutions across Sub Saharan Africa, in consonance with its brand vision “To be the partner of first choice in building your future”. The brand promise is to always deliver the ultimate “gold standard” of value and excellence. This commitment is anchored on the FirstBank’s inherent values of passion, partnership and people, to position its customers first in every respect.

For four consecutive years, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 FirstBank was named the “Best Retail Bank in Nigeria” by the Asian Banker International Excellence in Retail Financial Services Awards. Other recent awards include the “Best Bank in Nigeria” in the Euromoney Awards for Excellence, “Best Bank in West Africa” and “Most Innovative Bank in Africa” in the African Banker Awards, “Best Bank in Nigeria” in the EMEA Finance African Banking Awards for the fourth time, “Best Foreign Exchange Services in Africa” in the EMEA Finance Treasury Services Awards, “Best Banking Group in Nigeria” by World Finance Banking Awards, and “Best Financial Reporting Company” by Africa Investor.

Signed, Folake Ani-Mumuney,

Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications