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FirstBank Celebrates 2022 International Youth Day, Dedicates Week to Youths
First Bank of Nigeria Limited has announced its commemoration of the 2022 International Youth Day, globally celebrated today, 12 August 2022 and themed “Intergenerational solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages.”
The International Youth Day is commemorated every year on 12 August, bringing youth issues to the attention of the international community and celebrating the potential of youth as partners in today’s global society. The Day also amplifies the message that action is needed across all generations to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and leave no one behind.
Leading up to the day, the Bank dedicated the week of 8 – 12 August with a lineup of activities to reiterate its commitment to Youth Empowerment.
As a Bank renowned for its role in developing the economy through sustainable employment and entrepreneurship endeavours, the 2022 edition of the Youth Week will promote economic empowerment and employment, digital technology, and education as its focus during the celebration.
The Youth Week comprises various activities, including a Fashion illustration workshop, Design skill training, Gen Z/Millennial Webinar and many more exciting activities. These activities would give participants opportunities to win various exciting gift items.
Under the First@arts program, the Bank will empower the youths through Artistry Workshop Sessions & Arts Classes. Interested in the art of fashion design and illustrations, visit the Bank’s social media handles – Instagram: @firstbanknigeria, Facebook: First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Twitter: @FirstBankngr – for information on how you can be among 10 lucky winners to have the opportunity to learn the business of fashion at Claire Idera fashion studio.
Likewise, the Creative design workshop will enable youths design skill training; design thinking principles and their application in the context of layout, typefaces and colour. Interested youths can also participate on the FirstBank social media handles, where 25 lucky winners will be selected to learn the Art of Design at Geneza School of Designs.
Commemorating the Youth Week, Dr Adesola Adeduntan, Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank said: ‘’We remain committed to celebrating the younger demography whose voices, actions, vigour, and tireless participation in the political, economic, and social activities have continued to birth major contributions towards the sustainable development of Africa and the world at large. The planned activities will promote better collaboration and solidarity across generations to foster successful and equitable relationships, and partnerships thereby ensuring “no one is left behind” and empowering everyone to leverage their full potential toward achieving the much-desired Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This Youth demography has a striking significance for us at FirstBank with the Millennials and Gen Zs constituting almost 60% of our workforce. This shows that youths are an integral part of our organisation and every country where we operate”, he concluded.
For more information and participation in the Youth Week, kindly visit the bank’s verified social media platforms; Instagram: @firstbanknigeria, Facebook: First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Twitter: @FirstBankngr
An unconfirmed number of children have reportedly lost their lives in a stampede that occurred during a children’s carnival in Ibadan, the state capital, on Wednesday.
It was gathered that over 30 children lost their lives, with many others injured during the incident.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, confirmed that the stampede occurred at a private children’s funfair at Basorun Islamic High School after which the government swiftly mobilised a rapid response team.
The commissioner noted that victims had been swiftly transported to various hospitals within the Ibadan metropolis for medical attention.
While appreciating the Commissioner for Health, Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, for immediately activating all available response teams to assist at the scene, Oyelade said, “The state government will do all it can to support the victims of this tragic incident during this difficult period.
“The government was not involved in any planning, nor was the Ministry of Health asked to provide logistics for the private children’s end-of-year funfair.”
Oyelade, however, emphasised the importance of proper coordination when organising events of such magnitude, particularly those involving children and the elderly.
The commissioner indicated that they were awaiting a detailed report from the Commissioner of Police to clarify the total number of victims involved in this unfortunate incident.
“Parents who are concerned about the whereabouts of their children are urged to check the following medical facilities in Ibadan, where affected children have been taken for proper medical care, with valid means of identification:Patnas Hospital, Basorun; Western Hospital, Basorun; Ringroad State Hospital; Molly Specialist Hospital; and the University College Hospital, Ibadan.”
He extended the government’s deepest sympathies to the families affected by this tragedy, urging the public to remain calm as relevant information is gathered and necessary support arranged for the victims.
A businessman, Kehinde Balogun, has told a Mapo Grade A Customary Court in Ibadan to put an end to his 14-year-old marriage with his estranged wife Stella, on the grounds of adultery.
Balogun, a father of three, said with regrets that if he had known that Stella would bring him such an embarrassment, he would not have exchanged marital vows with her.
“My lord, I became completely frustrated when I found out that Stella was having extra-marital affairs with my plumber and I made her realise this.
“Then, she decided to move out of my house, packing my belongings with her and abandoning our three children,” Balogun said.
During cross examination, the petitioner said his wife did not catch him on their matrimonial bed with any woman.
He also denied sending her photographs to anybody.
However, Stella denied any wrong doing, stating that one of her friends had told lies against her.
“That friend of mine had told Balogun that I’ve been sleeping around and he consequently began to react to me negatively.
“He turned me into a punching bag and stopped sleeping in the house.
“Later on, Balogun started sending my photographs to his woman-friend.
“My lord, he has remarried with my three children in his care and they are not properly catered for,” Stella told the court.
Delivering judgment, the court’s President, Mrs. S.M. Akintayo, pronounced the marriage dissolved on the ground that both Balogun and Stella were no longer willing to continue with the union.
Akintayo granted an order restraining Stella from harassing, disturbing, threatening and interfering with Balogun’s private life henceforth.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has carried out its largest single-day operation against cryptocurrency and romance scam networks, arresting 792 suspects in Lagos.
The EFCC Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed during a press briefing that the operation, conducted at a seven-storey building known as the Big Leaf Building at No. 7, Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, led to the apprehension of 193 foreign nationals, including 148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos, two individuals from Kharzartan, one Pakistani, and one Indonesian.
He said the raid followed months of surveillance and intelligence gathering on the syndicate’s activities.
Uwujaren described the building as designed to mimic a corporate financial headquarters, was allegedly used to train Nigerian recruits in romance and investment scams.
The official said the investigators found the building equipped with high-end desktop computers, and over 500 SIM cards were recovered from just one floor.
He stated that the syndicate reportedly recruited Nigerian youths with advanced computer skills, training them for two weeks on impersonation techniques to target victims in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe.
Uwujaren explained that the recruits created fake online profiles to lure victims through platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram. Once trust was established, victims were directed to a fraudulent investment platform, ‘www.yooto.com’, where activation fees started at $35.
He revealed that the Nigerian recruits were unaware of the full scope of the operation.
“They worked under the supervision of foreign syndicate members and were paid either in cash or through personal accounts without formal employment contracts.
He noted that after securing victims, the recruits were cut off from the operation while the foreign kingpins completed the scams.
The director pointed out that the recovered items included desktop computers, mobile phones, laptops, and vehicles.
He revealed that the EFCC has obtained statements from the suspects and screened their devices, noting that all suspects are being detained under a valid remand warrant, with plans to arraign them in court soon.
Uwujaren highlighted the international nature of the crime, stressing the role of foreign nationals in exploiting Nigeria’s reputation and contributing to global fraud.
“This operation shows that the notion that Nigerians are solely behind these frauds is incorrect. Foreigners are leveraging our unfortunate reputation to establish criminal enterprises,” he said.
“The EFCC is collaborating with foreign partners to ensure that the arrested individuals face justice.
“There will be no hiding places for criminals in Nigeria,” he added.
