Business
FBNHoldings, FBNBank Ghana Visit Ghana President, Akufo-Addo in Accra
The Group Board Chairman, FBN Holdings Plc, Dr. Oba Otudeko CFR in company of Directors of FBN Holdings, FirstBank of Nigeria Limited and FBNBank Ghana Limited, have paid a courtesy call on the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa-Akufo-Addo in Accra.
The visit was to appreciate the President for participating in First Bank of Nigeria Limited’s 125th anniversary activities held earlier this year as well as update him of recent investment activities of the Group.
In his speech, Dr. Otudeko assured President Akufo-Addo of FBNHoldings’ belief in the Ghanaian economy and indicated that it was evidenced by the recapitalization of FBNBank Ghana by its parent bank, First Bank of Nigeria Limited. He pointed out that the Group’s investment of US$100 million was well above the new minimum capital requirement set by the Bank of Ghana into its Ghana operation.
Otudeko added that the bank’s confidence in the Ghanaian economy and the talent of Ghanaians had resulted in the appointment of Victor Yaw Asante as the first Ghanaian Managing Director of FBNBank Ghana Limited.
Dr. Otudeko lauded the President of Ghana for giving the youth opportunities to serve in his government, saying it will prepare them to take over the leadership of Ghana in the near future. He congratulated the President on the choice of Ghana as host of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement, saying that it must have taken significant effort to bring this to Ghana.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo thanked Dr. Otudeko for his kind words and recounted the crucial bilateral and economic ties as well as historic bond, pre and post-independence, that exist between Ghana and Nigeria.
While stating that it is important for the economies of both Ghana and Nigeria to do well for ECOWAS to succeed, the President thanked FBN Holdings Plc for investing in Ghana and gave the assurance that government will provide the necessary support to FBNBank Ghana Limited and the entire business community.
The President also touched on the banking sector reforms and observed that Nigeria also had to embark on a similar exercise in the recent past. He said it was a painful but necessary exercise to strengthen the financial services industry and position it to support business and the economy.
President Akufo-Addo emphasized the importance of providing opportunities to the youth to enable them support the nation’s growth and development agenda and the need for all citizens of the two countries to find avenues to give back to their nations.
Members of the delegation pledged, on behalf of FBN Holdings Plc and FBNBank Ghana, their commitment to helping build a stronger Ghanaian economy, as well as forging stronger economic ties between citizens and businesses of Ghana and Nigeria.
The FBNHoldings Group Board Chairman, Dr. Oba Otudeko, CFR, was accompanied by Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, Chairman, Board of Directors, First Bank of Nigeria Limited; Mr. U. K. Eke, MFR, Group Managing Director, FBN Holdings Plc.; Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, Chief Executive Officer, First Bank of Nigeria Limited; Otunba (Mrs.) Debola Osibogun, Non-Executive Director, FBNHoldings; Dr. Hamza Wuro Bokki, Non-Executive Director, FBNHoldings, and Mr. Victor Yaw Asante, Managing Director, FBNBank Ghana Limited.
FBN Holdings Plc is the most diversified financial services group in Nigeria and includes FirstBank of Nigeria Ltd the mother company of FBNBank Ghana and other subsidiaries around the world.
Bulk Data service from Globacom has continued to garner patronage from more enterprise clients across the country owing to its immense benefits.
With the offering, Glo Enterprise users can gift data to other customers with the Bulk Data offering, a self-service site designed for data allocation. Through it, a specific quantity of data can be freely utilized for specific users’ navigation of a mobile application or website at no cost to the users of the application or website. The service is paid for by the enterprise client.
A school’s bucket data plan allows institutions to buy bulk data for students’ instructional purposes. The Plan is good for ninety days. In contrast, the Gifted Data Plan is good for 30 days. As many Glo subscribers as the sponsor desires may receive data gifts from the Bulk Data sponsor.
Depending on which Pack the gifting customer has subscribed to, a sponsor can equally gift data in 200MB, 500MB, 1GB, 2GB, 3GB, 4GB, 5GB, or 10GB amounts.
Globacom has built the solution so that each sponsor can tailor the SMS notification that is sent to the beneficiary regarding the provided data. This sets this product apart from others available on the market.
While the recipients of the Bulk Data giving can check their own balance by dialing the USSD code, *127*0#, on their own devices, the gifted plans can be tailored to the sponsor’s requirements and preferences.
Only businesses that purchase large quantities of data, including corporations and educational institutions, are eligible for the Bulk Data service.
Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, continues to make significant impact in birthing the next generation of banking and finance professionals on the continent through its Graduate Management Acceleration Programme (GMAP) which to date has produced over 3,222 young professionals across Africa.
Since inception three years ago, the GMAP, designed to equip entrants with the necessary skills and knowledge, has provided mentorship, training, and hands-on experience to young graduates for leadership roles in UBA.
On Wednesday, a ceremony was held at the Landmark Event Centre to induct another cohort of 1,138 successful graduates who were absorbed by the bank following intensive training spanning several months of rigorous learning, testing the entrants’ dedication and resilience.
The momentous ceremony was graced by the UBA Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, the Group Managing Director/ CEO, Oliver Alawuba, and other Board Members, Executive Management, faculty members, mentors, families, and friends of the graduates.
Elumelu, who expressed his excitement over the new graduates, highlighted the bank’s passion for youth empowerment in Africa while bridging the unemployment gap, which according to him, remains one of the greatest challenges in the continent,
He said, “At UBA, we believe that Africa’s transformation is in the hands of young, dynamic, and ambitious professionals such as you. Through GMAP, we are not only shaping future leaders but also reinforcing our commitment to excellence and impact. To our graduands, remember that success is built on hard work, resilience, and a commitment to continuous learning. The world is waiting for you to make your mark.”
Speaking earlier at the event, UBA’s Group Managing Director/CEO, Oliver Alawuba, expressed immense pride in the graduands and reiterated the bank’s unwavering commitment to human capital development.
“This moment marks the beginning of a transformational journey that will shape your careers, your contributions to society, and Africa at large. The GMAP is a testament to our vision of empowering the brightest minds with the skills, knowledge, and mind-set required to navigate the ever-evolving financial landscape,” Alawuba stated.
He pointed out UBA’s commitment to gender diversity and inclusion, highlighting that of the fresh 1,138 graduands, 666 (representing 58%) are women, a reflection of the bank’s dedication to fostering an equitable and inclusive workplace.
Encouraging the graduands, Alawuba charged them to uphold UBA’s core values of Excellence, Enterprise, and Execution, while embracing the bank’s Persona of Simplicity, Responsiveness, and Goal-oriented (SRG).
The ceremony featured inspiring testimonies from GMAP alumni who have made significant strides within the bank.
United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group wide and serving over 45 million customers globally. Operating in twenty African countries and the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting-edgetechnology.
FirstBank, the premier bank in West Africa and a leading financial inclusion service provider, today marks a significant milestone with the groundbreaking ceremony for its new green-certified Iconic Head Office Building in Eko Atlantic City, Lagos.
This ambitious project 40-story building project set to be the tallest building in Nigeria, will be an engineering and environmental delight due to its technologically advanced, eco-friendly and sophisticated construction which would set a new standard for the financial services sector in Africa.
The groundbreaking ceremony signifies the beginning of a transformative journey that reinforces FirstBank’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction. The new headquarters is designed with sustainability in mind, featuring a green-certified building that reduces operational costs and positions FirstBank as a leader in sustainable banking practices.
According to Olusegun Alebiosu, CEO, FirstBank Group, “We are proud to mark this significant milestone in our journey towards excellence. Our new Head Office is envisioned as a world-class structure that represents our dedication to innovation, customer satisfaction, and sustainability. We believe that this development will play a crucial role in fostering economic growth and development across Africa, creating long-term value for all our stakeholders.”
With a legacy spanning over 130 years, FirstBank has consistently demonstrated its commitment to innovation, customer-centricity, and sustainable business practices. The Bank has a robust international presence, operating subsidiaries in nine countries across three continents.
Femi Otedola, Chairman, FirstHoldCo, added, “Today’s gathering highlights the importance of collaboration and support from various sectors in bringing our ambitious plans for the new headquarters to life. We appreciate the unrelenting support from our customers and stakeholders as we work together to turn this vision into reality.”
The groundbreaking ceremony will be attended by prominent dignitaries, including the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, Senators and Lawmakers, State Governors, Federal Ministers and Captains of industry. This event marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in FirstBank’s storied history, solidifying its role as a leader in the African financial industry.
