First Bank of Nigeria Limited has been named the Financial Institution of the Year at the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) Pan-African Business and Development Awards.
Afreximbank gave FirstBank the award at the ceremony held as part of activities marking its (Afreximbank) 30th anniversary and in recognition of FirstBank as an epitome of the pan-African spirit through its leading role in promoting trade and investment across the continent which has been instrumental to strengthening the economic and multilateral business relationship across nations.
The ceremony was hosted in association with the Business Council for Africa (BCA) in Accra, Ghana.
Among its role in facilitating transactions across borders, in 2021, FirstBank launched its first global transfer (FGT) initiative, specifically designed to ensure safe, timely and improved efficiency in the transfer of funds across the network of FirstBank subsidiaries in Africa. The FGT is not restricted to FirstBank Group’s customers alone but it is also open to every individual resident in the country the funds transfer is originating from.
Speaking on the awards, CEO of FirstBank Adesola Adeduntan said: “We thank the organisers of the event (Afreximbank, BCA) for the recognition as it reinforces our commitment to promoting trade, finance and investment opportunities across borders which have been instrumental to the continued growth and development of the continent and the world. On behalf of the Board and Management, this award is dedicated to all employees at the FirstBank Group for their diligence and hard work as well as to our esteemed customers for their loyalty and patronage in over 129 years of existence.”
Also commenting on the awards, president and chairman of the board who has been at the bank for over 29 years, Prof. Benedict Oramah, said: “Tonight we are recognising outstanding leaders and institutions. Having joined the Bank in 1994, I have been fortunate to have worked with many of them… At Afreximbank, contributing to Africa’s development is a lifetime vocation, as I know it is for all those that we have recognised tonight.”
In recognising these leaders and institutions, chair of the BCA and former Group CEO of Ecobank Arnold Ekpe said: “Too often our business leaders do not get the praise they deserve. Succeeding in business on the continent is not always easy, but it is rewarding and more importantly it is possible to build strong, profitable businesses that are globally competitive. Our winners tonight have demonstrated this.”
FirstBank has consistently been recognised by reputable global organisations for its steady outstanding performance and among the streak of recent wins is the award for Best Financial Inclusion Service Provider Nigeria 2023 by Digital Banker Africa as well as Best Private Bank for Sustainable Investing in Africa by Global Finance.
