First Bank reiterates commitment to wealth creation for unbanked

First Bank reiterates commitment to wealth creation for unbanked

First Bank of Nigeria Plc has said it is recreating wealth for the unbanked and improving their standards of living , while leveraging digital offerings to drive financial inclusion.

Its Managing Director, Dr Adesola Adeduntan, stated this during the commissioning of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC) at Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos at the weekend.

Adeduntan expressed excitement at the execution of the project, stressing that ICAN is widely acclaimed for supporting national capacity building and economic self-reliance by raising and training astute accounting professionals within and outside the borders of this country. Adeduntan, who was represented by the bank’s Chief Financial Officer, Patrick Iyamabo, said that First Bank, being a foremost financial institution on the continent is an ardent proponent of raising and nurturing professionals across all fields, especially in accounting, which is at the centre of business anywhere.

According to him, over the past 128 years of First bank’s continuous unbroken operations, it has witnessed many more economic cycles, industry transformations whilst reinventing itself many more times than any financial institution on the continent.

“We continue to demonstrate affinity for technological advancements, and by our suites progress movement from traditional brick and mortar banking to digital banking. We see our drive into digital banking as a call to mission building, as we continue to leverage our digital offerings to drive financial inclusion and create wealth for the erstwhile unbanked.

We will not rest our oars in the pursuit for sustainable social, economic and environmental growth across all spheres of the economy. Our business footprint cris-crosses Nigeria, Francophone and anglophone Sub Saharan Africa, Europe and Asia. Our community development initiatives are anchored on the strategic tripod of education, health, and welfare. Our engagement in sustainable practices is premised on enhancing economic development and ensuring economic stability for present and future generations”, He said.

Earlier in her keynote address, the President of ICAN, Comfort Eyitayo, while commending First Bank for the joint collaboration of the project, said the EDC is a conscious and deliberate effort to drastically reduce the number of unemployed accountants and other participating public.