First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services provider has announced its ongoing digital campaign “Mask Up, Stay Safe” as part of its advocacy to encourage everyone to consciously protect one another against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The digital campaign which is designed to employ a fun approach to urge and engage its stakeholders on the need to observe the safety and precautionary guidelines during the festive season is implemented using the Bank’s customised face mask filter on instagram, that is made of the bespoke FirstBank 125th Anniversary pattern in Ankara fabric giving a distinct African contemporary an consistent look.
The “Mask Up, Stay Safe” digital campaign is part of the FirstBank’s December activities which kicked off on the 7th December 2020 themed: “12 Days of Christmas and 12 Days of Kindness”.
The activities are structured in part to increase public awareness and participation in the Bank’s SPARK (Start Performing Act of Random Kindness) initiative with the central goal of reigniting the societal moral values by encouraging people to choose to do the right thing and reinforcing a consciousness/mindset of showing compassion, empathy; as well as giving to others aimed at inspiring people to make a difference.
Speaking on the campaign, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, the CEO of FirstBank said “In the spirit of walking the talk, I have uploaded my Instagram story with the virtual face mask and I crave your indulgence to join me in doing the same.”
“This campaign is targeted at informing our customers and the general public that staying safe and protected through face mask wearing is paramount now, more than ever, as it is a way of mitigating the unforeseen tragedy of the second wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Stay Safe First!” he concluded.
As the year comes to an end, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, Chief of Army Staff has met the executive Governor of Yobe Mai Mala Buni, on Wednesday, December 23, on a strategic engagement in securing Yobe State during and after yuletide.
Briefing the governor, General Buratai explained some of the military strategic efforts deployed at curtailing the activities of criminals and insurgents in Yobe State and other parts of north eastern Nigeria.
National Association of Online Security Reporters, NAOSRE, gathered that during the meeting which held at the Damaturu Government House, General Buratai specifically assured the governor of drastic security measures embarked upon by the Nigerian Army in the North East
The Chief of Army Staff further assured the government and people of Yobe State that the Nigerian Army is taking drastic steps to ensure that Damaturu-Maiduguri roads are secured to safeguard lives and properties of the people.
He stated that the army in partnership with other relevant stakeholders will have strategic engagements in the next few weeks to further improve security in the zone particularly in identified flash points.
Responding Governor Buni commended the Nigerian army and other agencies for their concerted efforts and commitment in the fight against insurgency and banditry across the nation. He assured the continuous support of the state government in the fight against all forms of insecurity across the state.
He attributed the relative peace been enjoyed in the state and the region to the commitment of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies.
I would like to thank the Institute of Directors Nigeria for deeming it fit to admit me as a Fellow of this esteemed institution. It is indeed a great honour.
I remember when I was invited last year as a special guest of honour during the 2019 IOD Dinner; I announced that BUA Cement was preparing to list on the NSE. Since you all began this journey with me, please allow me to report back that BUA Cement listed afterwards and is now one of the most capitalized companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
With a market capitalization of 1.9trillion Naira, EBITDA of N82bn and PAT of N60bn Naira as at FY2019, we are on course to hit EBITDA of 100billion Naira by the end of 2020 despite the dire conditions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic this year.
Our outcomes are very significant because BUA Cement is a manufacturing and mining outfit and is currently one of the most profitable manufacturing entities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Our successes are exceptional because in mining, you are expected to add a lot more value compared to many other industries due to the use of locally sourced raw materials in your operations. Regardless of the hurdles posed by this global pandemic, we continued to create jobs and sustainable wealth for our workers, investors and by extension, our customers.
I must add that with the presence of resources needed across the country, we have been able to stabilize prices irrespective of where anybody lives in Nigeria and as a result, the price of cement in Lagos is similar or the same as the price of cement in Maiduguri, Yenagoa, Sokoto or Onitsha. In addition to this, only 5% of our revenues are used for imports in FX; this has freed up necessary funds to pursue further expansion and development across our brand portfolio, particularly in the field of innovative manufacturing.
The cement industry in Nigeria is currently producing about 28 million metric tonnes of cement per annum, which translates to about 120kg per head in terms of consumption per capita. This is lower than consumption per head in the rest of Africa. Based on this, it is very clear that we are not even producing enough cement. Where others see low consumption figures, I see opportunity; it means Nigeria and the surrounding region is still home to huge opportunities in housing, infrastructure, and allied industries.
Demand and consumption currently outstrips supply; our population is increasing, logistics remains a huge challenge, coupled with reduced production amongst some players. This is why the price of cement in the market is currently about 20% higher than the price of cement ex-factory. Plants are aging and BUA is one of the few that have new plants. We have therefore taken it upon ourselves to tangibly bridge the demand gap by 2022. The potentials exist because ideally, Nigeria should be producing at least 300kg per head or about 60million metric tonnes per annum – which is double our current production capacity.
Imagine with me for a second, if we were still importing cement. The cost of logistics alone would have made the price of cement out of the reach of many – especially those in far-flung states. As I said earlier, and many of us have experienced, the retail price of cement is currently high. However, at about $120/ton ex-factory this is still lower than the price of cement per ton in many African countries. This equally means the market is big enough for new investments and unless we all come out to face these challenges as leaders, development will be difficult to achieve.
In view of these challenges, I am happy to announce that our 3rd cement line of 3mmt per annum in Sokoto is expected to be commissioned in the middle of 2021, and I am also pleased to inform you that we are commencing the construction of 3 more cement plants of 3 million tonnes each in Sokoto, Edo and Adamawa at the cost of $1.050billion which should be completed by the end of 2022. The contract signing is expected to happen this week.
However, I am also of the strong belief that it is not only in Cement that these large-scale projects are possible. Nigeria hosts other huge mineral deposits waiting for us to add value, to extract maximum benefits. Iron Ore is one of them.
Our country is one of only 11 countries in the world that is sitting on iron ore, coal and even gas and yet, we appear to be the only ones yet to take full advantage. It is estimated that we spend about 3 billion dollars a year importing steel, which we can produce locally using our resources thereby saving billions of dollars in foreign exchange every year.
In fact, if we can have a two-million-tonne, fully integrated steel plant at the cost of about 2 billion dollars, we will be saving about 2 billion dollars every year. By fully integrated, I mean processing from Iron ore to Beneficiation, Pelletizing, DR Plant, SMS, Steel, Long products, sheets, angles – all aspects of the value chain. If we even decide to undertake beneficiation alone, this would be more lucrative than processed limestone, which is the raw material for cement. I daresay if we are able to take full advantage of this – then we can firmly place our sector and country on the road to sustainable development.
As business leaders, we are not exploring and exploiting these opportunities enough and the few of us who are doing it, definitely cannot do it alone. I say this because there are huge opportunities in mining, manufacturing, and the agricultural value chain – just as there are in the services space. Agriculture is a prime area in need of serious intervention, and we need more Nigerians to step up here.
Do you know that, 60% of the world’s arable land resides in Africa? And as is often said, “if potential were edible, Africa will be the best fed continent in the world.” The same applies here to Nigeria. I flew last week from Lagos to Sokoto and could see the fertile plains from Kwara, Niger, all the way to Sokoto, waiting for us to take advantage of. How long will we continue to rely on importing food? Our continued inability to grow what we eat exposes us to various shocks, the most debilitating being the 2020 pandemic. This is one of the reasons why at BUA we are renewing our focus on the agriculture and foods space.
Just like I said last year for cement, BUA is also looking to combine our foods businesses – from sugar, flour, pasta to list as BUA FOODS on the NSE by the end of 2021. In sugar, we have our integrated plantation in Kwara State set to produce 200,000tonnes of refined sugar, 20million litres of ethanol annually and 35MW of power – all utilizing the by-products of cane sugar. We also have a refinery in Lagos and Port Harcourt. In flour and pasta, we have also started looking at backward integration for Nigerian-grown wheat to reduce our dependence on imported wheat and revive production in the sector. Nigeria currently imports over 5million tonnes of wheat and this places a huge strain on our scarce FX as a country.
The opportunities in the agriculture and agribusiness space are endless. How are we as leaders looking to take advantage of this space? How can we work together, and what examples – or opportunities are on the horizon?
In terms of our plans, we recently announced that BUA will be building a Refinery and Petrochemicals complex. Why? Because we saw an opportunity even though there is another big project in that space, coming on stream. Local consumption is quite huge and estimated at 800,000barrels per day. This is in addition to the huge regional market that exists for petroleum products. Alongside the refinery, we are building a polypropylene plant, which will answer the demand for polypropylene in the region. It is common knowledge that about a third of our country’s FX earnings go towards the importation of petrol and petroleum products. More strange is the fact that the cost of logistics for transporting these products to Nigeria could instead be deployed to significantly revamp the refining space and therefore, at BUA, we couldn’t just sit back – we knew we had to take action and I am certain we have made the right call yet again.
On a final note, I want to say again that we NEED MORE PEOPLE TO COME AND INVEST in various sectors of the Nigerian economy. We have the Climate, People, Land, Water, Mineral Resources – we have almost everything. The final piece is we must begin to produce what we consume and consume what we produce. Where we cannot do either, we must become a regional powerhouse in value-addition – if not for anything, but to take advantage of the benefits of the AfCFTA. The African Continental Free Trade Area presents a massive opportunity for us as a country and unless we take full advantage, we may become a dumping ground due to Nigeria’s unique position of being Africa’s largest economy, and our huge population. We must begin to look at a cross-pollination of our industries amid economic integration and finally, as Nigerian business leaders, we need to be less shy and more bullish in taking advantage of opportunities. This is my charge to us all, and I humbly expect to cheer on, and learn from your successes in the coming financial year.
Rabiu, Founder & Chairman of BUA Group, delivered this speech last Sunday when he was admitted as a Fellow of the Institute of Directors (Nigeria)
Robert Lewandowski became the third player in Bundesliga history to score 250 goals as Bayern Munich ended Wolfsburg’s unbeaten start to the Bundesliga season in a come-from-behind win at the Allianz Arena.
denied a close-range effort at goal by Jerome Roussillon. The record champions remained on top in terms of possession throughout the first half, but trailed for much of it after Maximillian Philipp met Kevin Mbabu’s cross on the volley to give Wolfsburg a sixth-minute lead. Thomas Müller flicked a near-post header off target with Bayern’s first meaningful response, before Wout Weghorst had a thunderous breakaway goal ruled out for offside. Wolfsburg put bodies on the line to repel quick-fire chances for Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry, but continued to threaten on the counter with another Philipp volley sailing narrowly wide off David Alaba’s left thigh. Sane ballooned over from 18 yards, before Lewandowski met Kingsley Coman’s inch-perfect cross to head Bayern level in added time.
After restoring parity with the final effort on goal of the first half, Bayern forged ahead with the first attempt of the second. Jerome Boateng picked off a Wolfsburg attack and immediately sent Lewandowski in on goal. The Bundesliga’s record foreign scorer put Maxence Lacroix on his back, before slamming in at Koen Casteels’ near post. Gnabry was presented with a glorious opening to extend the home side’s lead moments later, but failed to make the desired connection with Coman’s back-post cross. Wolfsburg contained Bayern for the remainder, but only threatened a way back in the closing stages. Had it not been for Manuel Neuer, they might have succeeded. The Bayern captain twice thwarted substitute Bartosz Bialek to keep his side within a point of leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who they face in their final league encounter of 2020 at the weekend.
Match stats
Only Gerd Müller and Klaus Fischer had broken the 250-goal barrier, before Lewandowski came along. The Pole has 177 goals in 201 Bundesliga appearances for Bayern.
Boateng produced his first assist of the season.
Lewandowski has scored 23 goals in 20 Bundesliga appearances against Wolfsburg. Unsurprisingly, they are his favourite opponent.
Bayern have scored at least once in each of their last 42 competitive matches.
Philipp scored his first Bundesliga goal in over two years.
Josip Brekalo made his 100th competitive appearance for Wolfsburg.
Leverkusen – Bayern’s opponents on Matchday 13 – are the Bundesliga’s only remaining unbeaten team this season.
Following the Federal Government’s directives on the harmonisation of citizens’ data by relevant agencies, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) had in compliance with the directives earlier put members of the public on notice. As a follow up to that, FRSC Management has resolved that effective 21 December, 2020, all applicants for the National Driver’s Licence in Nigeria must present the National Identification Number ( NIN) from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) before they can be captured for any class of the licences produced by the FRSC.
According to the press release signed by the Assistant Corps Marshal Bisi Kazeem, fsi, all driver’s licence applicants are therefore, expected to present their National Identification Number from the date, before they can be attended to, adding that there would be no waiver for anyone. Bisi further stressed the need for a harmonised database on citizens’ information which he said is critical to resolving the challenges of identifying individuals to assist security agencies in data collation and quick retrievals to address some of the national security challenges.
He called on members of the public particularly, those going for their driver’s licence processing to take note of the directives and carefully follow the procedures for obtaining their NIN from the National Identity Management Commission which must be verified to be authentic, before action can be taken on their application for the licences. Kazeem further stated that all numbers presented by the applicants must correspond with what NIMC issued to individuals for a harmonised database.
The Corps Public Education Officer solicited the cooperation of members of the public to make the policy a success in the collective interest of the nation and commitment to building and maintaining a credible national database on citizens. He assures that FRSC remains committed to supporting the Federal Government in its resolve to tackling the challenges of citizens’ identification and national security challenges.
While reassuring the driver’s licence applicants of improved services at the licence processing centres across the country, the FRSC spokesperson reiterated the earlier messages of Corps Marshal Oyeyemi that improved service delivery remains the center point of the Corps’ operations. He further stressed that with due compliance by all driver’s licence applicants, the process of physical capturing at the Licence processing centre would be smooth in line with the improved processes put in place.
First Bank, NAOSRE & Internal Security is a contextual analysis of NAOSRE’s commitment to a safer Nigeria and the supporting role of First Bank through a philosophical approach to the relationship between media and corporate institution. Andy Ennette, a NAOSRE member, writes from Lagos.
Unarguably, the year 2020 has particularly been very contending for Nigeria as a country. The year has been a very tough one for citizens, businesses and indeed, the security operatives. For a country like Nigeria that has to daily contend with other variables, this could be worrisome.
Aside the problem of kidnapping, banditry, and armed robbery, which the people have been subjected to across the nation, Covid – 19 pandemic added to the dimension and took toll on the people.
There was the issue of ASUU strikes. There was the threat of Labour unrest. The culmination of these crises was the #ENDSARS Protests which recently took the country by storm.
However, when the country is faced with myriads of challenges, ranging from insecurity, food scarcity and infrastructural deficit, the role of the media as the fourth estate of the realm for objective presentation of facts and the banking system in providing financial succour for small and medium enterprises, SME cannot be over emphasized.
These two institutions are very central in the quest for solutions and ameliorating the problem. First Bank Nigeria Plc, for instance, has, since the beginning of the pandemic, offered several financial succour to the banking public. The bank has shown uncommon responsiveness and compassion towards customers and communities through various offerings. Amongst them are the e learning for children in school when the foremost financial institution discovered that the recent lock down was going to negatively affect school children.
In like manner, First Bank , through its financial inclusion initiative, FirstAdvance, has disbursed over N17 billion as loans to individuals, across the country. Just last Friday, December 11, 2020, First Bank made a remarkable showing at a security dinner summit organized by the National Association of Online Security Reporters, NAOSRE which held at Oriental Hotel, Lagos.
The security dinner was organized by NAOSRE to aggregate options for a secured Nigeria. The physical presence of its staff and financial support were the needed convictions that First Bank’s commitment to the growth of Nigeria’s economy is proportionate to the efforts it deploys to the security of its personnel, deposits and assets. These financial offering and innumerable Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, projects across the country and beyond have earned the bank, with over a century banking experience, many awards and rewards home including overseas.
Moreso, media anywhere in the world is central to the resolution of peace and tranquility necessary to the success of national development efforts. The Media must be very responsible and responsive to the needs of the populace in information gathering, processing and dissemination to avoid spreading false and dangerous information referred to as ” Fake News” , which are capable of compromising national security.
Therefore, the choice of theme by the National Association of Online Security Reporters known as NAOSRE, for this year’s Annual Dinner Night Discourse which is tagged: 2021 Nigerian Security Issues, Funding and Prospects” is apt, and the ideas generated from the deliberations would no doubt assist greatly in finding lasting solutions to the security challenges which the country is currently facing.
Interestingly, NAOSRE has successfully established a sustainable working relationship with key security players in the corporate world and security agencies in the country, including but not limited to Nigeria Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Airforce, Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, Nigerian Customs Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, the Executive/ Legislative Arms of government as well as the traditional institution across the country.
This, we hope, would organically shape policy direction in 2021 for a safer Nigeria.
Leadway Assurance’s position as one of Nigeria’s most valuable and employee-sensitive organisations received a boost at the 2020 edition of the Best Workplaces Award Ceremony organised by the influential Great Place to Work Institute (GPTW) where the Insurance icon was crowned as a winner in the Silver Category.
The Great Place to Work awards ceremony was instituted in Nigeria in 2012 by the Great Place to Work Institute, a global research and consulting firm best known for producing the Fortune 100 Best Companies list in the United States and similar lists in 45 other countries. The Institute defines great workplaces as companies where employees trust the people they work with, take pride in their work and enjoy a good relationship with their colleagues.
According to the Great Place to Work Institute, “the Great Place to Work awards ceremony aims at celebrating outstanding performance in the Trust Index and Culture Audit Survey, in addition to showcasing best global practices in employee policies and programmes which exemplify the five dimensions of the Great Place to Work Model, namely credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie’’.
Reacting to Leadway Assurance feat at this year’s event, Human Resources Director, Leadway Assurance, Kunbi Adeoti, said the award was a “testament to the company’s dedicated pursuit of excellence in the management of our greatest asset—our people.”
“The acknowledgement given by this award as well as the impeccable reputation enjoyed by Leadway as a trustworthy and value-adding partner to our customers have come through the consistent devotion of employees to operational improvements to promote and maintain competitive advantage. We will continue to work hard toward maintaining this business approach”, she submitted.
On his part, MD/CEO, Leadway Assurance, Mr. Tunde Hassan-Odukale expressed his appreciation to the staff of the organisation. According to him, “I would like to thank staff at Leadway for their contributions to making Leadway a Great Place to Work. As we celebrate this unique award, it is my hope and prayer that we will all double our resolve and commitment to making our organisation not just the best place to work, but the pride of the Nigerian employment market and a respected entity globally acknowledged for delivering high performance and creating value for our clients”.
Mr. Hassan-Odukale pledged the company’s readiness to continue to invest in best in class skills, tools and processes to aid the provision of a continuously appealing work environment, geared towards producing innovative and comprehensive business solutions as well as delivering sustainable benefits to all stakeholders
Following the ugly incident that led to the abduction of students in Katsina, The leader of INRI Evangelical spiritual church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has exposed the hidden secret of the Boko Haram on the whereabouts of the children.
Primate Ayodele stated that the abducted children are between Nigeria and Niger Republic, and actions should be made as soon as possible in order to avoid deaths of the abducted students.
The popular prophet made it known that God showed him where the children are being held hostage in a vision, and that it was a mere setup to terrorize Nigeria.
He further explained that Covid-19 has come to take those who have hands to the destruction of Nigeria.
‘The kidnapped children are between Niger Republic and Nigeria, that is where they are, let actions be made so they won’t kill them, we appeal to Katsina state governor, chief of defense staff and army staff to work immediately.
Those who kidnapped them are terrorist, the government should act fast. I appeal with their parents to have patience and Hope in God, by His grace, they will be rescued.
The kidnap was a set-up, there are some people behind it just to terrorise Nigeria, that’s is why I said those who deep hand into the destruction of Nigeria, covid-19 has come to take them away. So many things will still be exposed to the public.’
Also, Primate Ayodele spoke against the operation of Miyetti Allah, making it known that God showed him that the association will become a terrorist group as time goes on. He knocked the government that approved the association, maintaining that they should be scrapped.
‘The government that approved Miyetti allah is devilish, Miyetti Allah group will turn to a terrorist group, I pity the government that approved the association, Miyetti allah should be scrapped because there is no difference between them and ISIS.
I am talking as a prophet of God, that is the revelation I received, anyone can kick against it, I don’t care, I speak as I hear from God’
L-R: Bayo Olanrewaju, Head, Digital Banking, FirstBank; Adewale Salami, Chief Technology Officer, FirstBank; Banji Fehintola, President, CFA Society of Nigeria and Frank Aigbogun, Publisher, BusinessDay Newspaper during the presentation of the two awards won by FirstBank; Best Mobile App and CSR Bank of the Year Awards at the 8th BusinessDay Banking & Other Financial Institutions Awards (BAFI) which took place at the Lagos Continental Hotel.
From the publisher of BusinessDay, Frank Aigbogun’s welcome address at the recently held BusinessDay’s Banks and other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards came the following words: ‘The year 2020 has been a most interesting year. The economy and communities have been managed by disruptions imposed by COVID-19. Yet financial services have shown uncommon responsiveness and compassion towards customers and communities.’ Indeed, this has been an unusual year, no thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, but it has been a year defined as much by COVID-19 and its associated disruptions and difficulties as by the unprecedented response in kindness by corporate Nigeria.
BusinessDay’s BAFI Awards recognised achievements in a number of separate categories, each of which was worth its weight in gold. However, it could be argued that in this year of COVID-19, any recognition that took into account and was informed by the awardee’s COVID-related activities was probably the most significant of the awards/categories. It is against this backdrop that the recipient of the CSR Bank of the Year award at the BAFI Awards should be celebrated and projected as a model other corporate should emulate. And it came as no surprise that the bank that considers its destiny to be intertwined with Nigeria’s and whose commitment to nation building largely informs its approach to corporate responsibility and sustainability (CR&S), was so crowned as CSR Bank of the Year at the BAFI Awards.
The award was a well-deserved recognition for the exemplary role played by First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, Nigeria’s leading financial services provider, in support of the government and individuals’ as well as its own efforts to deal with the impact of COVID-19. Before the BAFI Awards, and, undoubtedly, proof that the award was not a fluke, CSR Reporters had named FirstBank as the 2020 Philanthropic Financial Institution of the Year in recognition of the bank’s social responsibility in the areas of e-learning and empowerment of SMEs in Nigeria. These CSR awards took cognisance of FirstBank’s unparalleled contributions to CSR, particularly through its e-learning initiative delivered in collaboration with partners from within and outside the continent, such as IBM, UNESCO and Robert & John, and the Lagos State Government.
Whilst different organisations rose to the various challenges resulting from COVID-19 crisis and were supporting in areas such as health and welfare, FirstBank chose and developed the e-learning initiative. FirstBank felt strongly that the peculiar needs of children and the youth risked being neglected at a time of unprecedented crises – with schools being closed, parents losing jobs, businesses shutting down, government revenues shrinking, health care resources being over-stretched, economic conditions worsening, etc. The bank therefore kicked off an initiative to move one million students to e-learning, alongside its partners, to minimise the disruption to the their education resulting from the prolonged closure of schools across Nigeria and ensure that they remain fully engaged during the difficult period, so they can continue to learn and compete favourably with their peers across the world. Over 140,000 students have benefitted from the e-learning initiative.
Focusing on key elements that resonated with its brand, such as dynamism, innovation and nation building, FirstBank’s e-learning initiative is an innovative and dynamic approach to learning which is not only a suitable and resourceful solution at this time, but also one that is intertwined with perhaps the next century’s likely digital approach to learning, especially with the addition of courses such as coding and robotics, which can usher students into the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and prepare them for jobs of the future. The e-learning initiative also aligns with the bank’s key focus area in its CSR framework – education. Education remains the single largest beneficiary of FirstBank’s enormous investments in CSR. Currently, 10 universities and three secondary schools enjoy FirstBank’s infrastructure projects; 10 universities are endowed with professorial chairs by the bank; and over 80,000 students in over 80 secondary schools in Nigeria have benefitted from financial literacy, and entrepreneurial and career counselling provided through FirstBank-sponsored programmes. Education consistently attracts the bank’s keenest attention from year to year. This is because FirstBank believes that education – quality and relevant education – remains the bedrock of any society and that when children are properly educated, the nation is enabled and global citizens who provide groundbreaking solutions for the continent and the world at large, are produced.
L-R: Oze K. Oze, Head, Internal Communications & Content Management, FirstBank; Chuma Ezirim, Group Executive, E-Business & Retail Products, FirstBank; Bayo Olanrewaju, Head, Digital Banking, FirstBank; Helen Willie, Transaction Banking Manager, FirstBank and Adewale Salami, Chief Technology Officer, FirstBank during the presentation of the two awards won by FirstBank; Best Mobile App and CSR Bank of the Year Awards at the 8th BusinessDay Banking & Other Financial Institutions Awards (BAFI) which took place at the Lagos Continental Hotel.
FirstBank’s partnership with IBM on the e-learning initiative, is making available to students the Digital-Nation Africa program, an online youth-focused learning programme that enables innovation and skills development on emerging technologies The IBM Digital- Nation Africa aims to provide African youth with effective digital literacy. The Platform seeks to enable African citizens, entrepreneurs and communities with the knowledge, tools and skills to innovate, design, develop and launch their own digital skills. It also helps African citizens enhance their digital skills to best meet the needs of the job market.
DNA provides a broad range of courses for various levels of digital literacy, from providing an introduction to the key emerging technologies beneficial for all, through an integrated innovator section to a focused skills enablement section where users can understand the skills and demands of the market and gain proven skills to enhance their job prospects. In addition, it provides free access to practical exercises and to allow for new ideas to be brought to life through focus areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Coding, Cloud, Internet of Things, Blockchain, Data Science and Analytics, and Cyber Security. There are currently nearly 14,000 registrants on the program, which is promoting opportunities to learn skills of the future.
The partnership with Curious Learning is designed to reach smartphone users using available curated and tested literacy and numeracy apps – with free access provided to these apps. Curious learning is delivering academic-based content for students aged three to eight through a number of mobile applications designed to empower these young children in a fun, self-guided learning process through exploration and curiosity to help them with their cognitive skills at a fundamental level. Examples of these apps are Feed the Monster and Read with Akili. Efforts are in place through Curious Learning to ensure the e-learning initiative swiftly moves across the country to school children and individuals with the need to promote the pursuit of knowledge, irrespective of age. This is critical in identifying with the roles of children at securing the future of any country.
Another partnership in FirstBank’s e-learning initiative is the one with Lagos State Government and Robert & John, an Edu-tech company that owns Roducate. The Roducate e-learning platform, structured in line with the government’s accredited curriculum for primary, secondary and tertiary schools across various fields of academic endeavours, such as science, commercial and arts, includes tutorial videos to reinforce the learning engagement, as well as assignments and mock exams to test students’ knowledge and progress in the course of studying. Learning on the platform also enables note taking for quick reference, and to foster extra-curricular activities, provides exciting features to make learning exciting and fun, such as podcasts and various games like brain pulse, monster munch etc. which allows students to play with one another online, thereby building relationships and promoting interactive learning.
So far FirstBank has provided 20,000 low-end devices preloaded with Roducate offline (presented to Lagos State Government for distribution to students) and enabled over 120,000 free sign-ups, on the Roducate e-learning platform, with the ultimate goal being to empower at least one million students. ‘This [e-learning] solution,’ according to Dr Adesola Adeduntan, Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank, ‘will see Lagos State offer children in the lower bracket, who may not have access to devices or data from home, affordable smart phones preloaded with the curriculum. The phones have SIMs and limited data tied, only, to the Roducate learning product, which means the recipients cannot browse, encouraging safe learning, but they can still submit tests, mock exams, etc.’ Dr Adeduntan, who encouraged parents and guardians to have their children and wards registered so their educational development is not held back, noted that the initiative is ‘in keeping with who we are at FirstBank, [where] our commitment to self-development and continuous improvement is never far from our thinking.’ In addition, FirstBank is a member of the Global Education Coalition led by UNESCO which is a platform for collaboration and exchange to protect the right of education during this unprecedented disruption and beyond.
Furthermore, in a bid to support SMEs operating in the education sector, FirstBank created a matching fund scheme of ₦5 billion LSETF-FirstEdu Loan, in partnership with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF). The scheme is designed to cushion the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on low-cost private schools by providing loans to them at an attractive interest rate. At the launch of the scheme, the Managing Director/CEO of FirstBank, Dr Adesola Adeduntan said: ‘At FirstBank we recognise the indelible role played by the education sector in the growth of any economy and this underscores our partnership with Lagos State Government for continuous development of the education services in Lagos State and the nation as a whole. The commitment by the Lagos State Government – including this partnership – to enable schools is quite commendable as this will mitigate the challenges caused by the lockdown on the education sector following the COVID-19 pandemic.’
Woven into the fabric of society for over 126 years, overcoming challenges and remaining a dominant player in Nigeria’s financial services landscape, FirstBank has been partnering and supporting various sustainable activities towards the continued growth of its host communities and the nation at large. As a responsible corporate organisation committed to supporting all its stakeholders in the most sustainable manner possible, the bank has partnered various state governments through the private sector-led Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) intervention with a view to promoting the readiness and efficiency of health care professionals and other compatriots at the forefront of fighting the pandemic. Beyond Nigeria, FirstBank’s sub-Saharan African subsidiaries have also been involved. So far they have made donations amounting to US$173,000 in cash and kind towards alleviating the impact of COVID-19 on the continent.
According to BusinessDay, the BAFI Awards, convened annually to recognise and celebrate organisations that have achieved excellence in the delivery of their financial services across the entire client and customer spectrum, is adjudged the most rigorous, prestigious and transparent awards programme in the industry. Since its inception in 2014, when the first edition held, its organisers, BusinessDay has implemented an audit-based approach in the evaluation process, meticulously reviewing each shortlisted company’s financial reports, commissioned customer perception surveys and analyst opinion, then comparing these with its competition in a longitudinal study. The BAFI Awards have become established as the benchmark of distinction for institutions in the financial services sector. Its rising popularity among leaders in the banking, investing, insurance, and asset management subsectors have earned the BAFI Awards a reputation as ‘the only recognition you deserve’.
The BAFI Awards is backed by the BusinessDay Research and Intelligence Unit (BRIU). Nominations for the BAFI Awards are the culmination of a rigorous review process. The BRIU and an independent panel of judges evaluate more than two hundred and fifty institutions and benchmark them against their global peers using several indices in a thorough evaluation process. Nominees are assessed for their vision, execution and market leading propositions. The BAFI award categories cut across banking, insurance, capital markets, investment, pension funds, trustees, registrars, stockbroking and private equity. This year’s event where FirstBank won Best CSR Bank of the Year (and a second award – Best Mobile Banking App), was themed: Interpreting an Irrational Year: Coping, Adjusting and Thriving in a Wicked Learning Environment.
L-R: Bayo Olanrewaju, Head, Digital Banking, FirstBank; Adewale Salami, Chief Technology Officer, FirstBank; Banji Fehintola, President, CFA Society of Nigeria and Frank Aigbogun, Publisher, BusinessDay Newspaper during the presentation of the two awards won by FirstBank; Best Mobile App and CSR Bank of the Year Awards at the 8th BusinessDay Banking & Other Financial Institutions Awards (BAFI) which took place at the Lagos Continental Hotel.
Mr. Steven Tuinstra CEO, President and Founder International Service Group (ISG & Partners) has revealed how the organisation has been creating employment for the unemployed in Africa.
Speaking in a statement issued by the outfit’s Media Director, Moses Owopade, Tuinstra said ISG creates employment in Africa by funding the government’s infrastructural projects as well as fund private sector in establishing new business.
According to the CEO, ISG supports the private sector in setting up new companies who can in turn employ staff adding that with a financially strong private sector , the concern create economic growth in Africa.
Apparently advocating for financial freedom for the Africa continent, Tuinstra said ”you cannot develop Africa and create a better life for the ordinary people when you dictate your political views and tell the governments of Africa how to run their country”
Continuing,Steven Tuinstra who has lived and worked almost two decades in Africa, and also lived, worked many years in various other countries in Europe and America,said there is a big difference between African culture and Western culture.
The CEO explained that it is very important to solve the infrastructure problem in Africa by cooperating with the various governments in Africa.
”It is crucial that the infrastructure projects can support themselves, this is necessary to not get the governments into financial trouble.
”At the moment, the governments have run into financial problems regarding their infrastructure projects that cannot support themselves, partly due to the corona pandemic. This must be prevented in the future. When governments take out loans of financial institutions, they must strictly fulfill their loan contracts. Otherwise Africa will never get rid of the infrastructure problem”.
Tuinstra said “It is essential that African governments and financial institutions conclude loan contracts where both parties are sure that they can be fulfilled. Then it is no longer necessary to have these meaningless discussions about colonialism.
”ISG & Partners has a unique construction model to actualize this on EPC + F basis.
”By solving the infrastructure problem in Africa we support the private sector in setting up new companies who can in turn employ staff. With a financially strong private sector we create economic growth in Africa. The governments need the private sector to develop Africa and reach a higher economic standard.” he concluded.
