FirstBank Sustainability Centre Supports Women Entrepreneurs

Posted by African Examiner Banking & Finance, Business News, Latest Headlines, Uncategorized Sunday, April 19th, 2015

…Sponsors 2nd Workshop for Women-led SMEs in Lagos

FirstBank Sustainability Centre has reinforced its commitment to promoting empowerment, entrepreneurship and financial inclusion amongst women through its sponsorship of a workshop for Women owners of SMEs in Nigeria. The event, which is the second in the series of workshop for women led SMEs is part of the FirstBank’s SMEConnect Series and it is scheduled to hold on April 23 and 24, 2015 at the FirstBank Sustainability Centre situated within the Lagos Business School, Lekki Lagos.

The workshop is designed to further equip women for enterprise development as well as assist in the transformation and expansion of women’s businesses into enterprises generating employment, economic benefits and social value. The event would offer a sustainable growth strategy for women-led SMES as well as teach the women to integrate financial success with societal and environmental advancement. Facilitators at the event will include Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, CEO, The Chair Center, Dr. Delia, Nzekwu, Sustainability Consultant and Mrs. Pauline Nsa, MD, FBN Microfinance Bank Limited. Other speakers are Mr. Valentine Ojumah, MD, FBN Insurance Limited, and Mr. Bayo Olugbemi, MD, First Registrars Limited.

In a statement by the Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, FirstBank, Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney, SMEs are pivotal to economic development and this is why it is a major focus point in the Bank’s mass market segment. “We are keen on women economic empowerment and it is our desire to see businesses go beyond the narrow intent of profit-making to embed societal and environmental interests which would deliver long term growth. Women led SMEs in integrating a social dimension to their value proposition will make their businesses more sustainable than the ones run with conventional cost and quality gains”, she further stated.

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 2,397 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, Banque International de Credit (B.I.C) in the Republic of Congo, International Commercial Bank (ICB) in Ghana, 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” three times in a row – 2011, 2012, 2013 – 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 three consecutive years, 2012, 2013 and 2014, 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

www.firstbanknigeria.com