Business
FirstBank Demystifying Financial Inclusion with XploreFirst
Worried by the increasing rate of the unbanked population, the Federal Government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), kicked off a campaign in 2012 to achieve 80 per cent financial inclusion of adult population by 2020.
The CBN carried out the campaign through agency banking, mobile banking/mobile payments, linkage models and client empowerment, to reduce financially excluded adult Nigerians from 46.3 per cent in 2010 to 20 per cent in 2020.
According to the CBN, the overall goal of the strategy is to promote a financial system accessible to all Nigerian adults at an inclusion rate of 80 per cent (formal and informal).
However, the 2018 Access to Financial Services Survey findings, conducted by the Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA) department of CBN, showed that 36.8 per cent Nigerian adults were still financially excluded.
This translates to a population of 36.6 million adult Nigerians who are excluded at the moment, with 44.1 per cent male and 55.9 per cent female.
The survey also disclosed that the country had a total adult population of 99.6 million, with 39.8 per cent as the banked population, which translates to 39.7 million.
In line with the apex bank’s strategy, some commercial banks have introduced products aimed at promoting financial inclusion, educational development and financial literacy to meet the 2020 target.
For instance, First Bank of Nigeria Limited has since launched a couple of innovative products such as FirstMobile, USSD, agent banking and FirstBillsPay to enhance banking efficiency.
The bank recently added a new scheme, FirstBank XploreFirst, a promotional campaign aimed at rewarding its youthful customers, in line with its financial inclusion and educational development drive.
Chuma Ezirim, FirstBank Group Executive, e-Business & Retail Products, said the six-month promo, which kicked off on October 1, 2018 and ends in May, was a FirstBank savings account variant designed specifically for students between 18 and 29 years.
He said a minimum of N1, 000 was required to open the account and account holders were required to maintain a minimum balance of N200.
To participate in the promo, Ezirim said XploreFirst customers were encouraged to save or maintain a minimum amount of N10, 000 in their accounts during the promo period to be eligible for the scholarship raffle draw, and that incremental deposits of N10, 000 in the account entitled the account holder to multiple tickets for the raffle draw.
To this end, a total of 198 winners emerged from the promo with 18 account holders (three from each of the six geopolitical zones) rewarded with scholarships of N150, 000 at the final raffle draw totaling N2.7 million.
The 18 account holders who won the N2.7 million scholarships were Chukwuebuka Ezugba, Oluwatunmise Olorunfemi and Michael Offiong for Lagos zone.
North-Central: Patrick Oginni, Aliyu Muhammad, Confidence Umeh; North-East West: Razaq Ibrahim, Habiba Ibrahim, Abdullahi Mannir; South-East: Victoria Umo, Armstrong Akoma and Deborah Fubara.
South-South winners were Woyingi Kunoun, Shulammite Onyigabor, Stephen Okolo; South-West: Adenike Adekale, Dorcas Agbakwuru and Oghogho Onoigboria.
Also, the bank rewarded 180 account holders with N5, 000 (N900, 000) airtime as consolation prizes, five from each of the six geopolitical zones.
Ezirim said the initiative was targeted at the youth, especially those in tertiary institutions and the informal sector to enhance savings culture and drive financial inclusion across the country.
He noted that the initiative would be sustained by the bank in the future in line with the CBN financial inclusion mandate.
Also speaking, Olufemi Odumuboni, the bank’s Head, Youth/Women Banking, said the promo dynamics were centred at making people to engage in financial discipline.
Odumuboni said winners were selected based on certain principles that made them eligible to qualify for the draw.
He explained that apart from the N2.7 million set aside for the yearly scholarships the bank had splashed about N900, 000 on customers that emerged winners at the various monthly draws for data purchase for their mobile phones.
To FBN Head, Retail Business & Community Banking, Mr Abiodun Famuyiwa, the bank embarked on the initiative due to its belief in nation’s building.
“We started this last year and the reason why FirstBank is driving this promo is because of our belief in nation’s building.
“We cannot build a nation without the population, youths populism consists of over 50 per cent of the population.
“And this population of youths we are targeting is those in the campuses, which are actually in need of some kind of support in their education, and this is one of the driving forces of the promo,” Famuyiwa said.
He also noted that the focus of the bank in organising the promo was to have more of the youths in the bank’s database, because traditionally, people associated FirstBank with old people. (NAN)
First Bank of Nigeria Limited (FirstBank), Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services provider, has announced the launch of the Verve Flash Promo, a special initiative rewarding customers with free Verve cards.
The campaign, which commenced on 6 October 2025, and will run until 30 January 2026, is exclusively targeted at FirstBank customers whose ATM cards have expired.
The free cards will be issued daily to 131 customers on a first-come, first-served basis across the Bank’s branches, nationwide. FirstBank’s unwavering commitment to convenience, accessibility, and customer satisfaction.
Speaking on the rewards to FirstBank customers, Chuma Ezirim, the Group Executive, e-Business and Retail Products at FirstBank, said: “The Verve Flash Promo is not just about rewarding customers with free verve debit cards; it is about celebrating our legacy of 131 years of trust, resilience, and innovation in the Nigerian financial services industry. At FirstBank, we remain committed to providing customer-centric solutions that enable secure, seamless, and convenient payment experiences. Partnering with Verve International on these initiatives, including the Verve Good Life promo, underscores our shared vision of deepening financial inclusion while rewarding our loyal customers for their continuous patronage.”
Also commenting, Vincent Ogbunude, Managing Director, Verve International, noted:
“Through strategic collaborations like this with FirstBank, we continue to demonstrate Verve’s commitment to enhancing access to seamless payment solutions for every Nigerian. The Verve Flash Promo not only rewards loyal customers but also reinforces our vision of making everyday transactions more rewarding, secure, and convenient. As we extend the Good Life Promo, we remain steadfast in our goal of deepening financial inclusion while delivering real value to Verve cardholders across the country.”
Meanwhile, the ongoing Verve Good Life promo, designed to reward Verve debit card holders for using their cards at specific merchant points, has been extended to 30 November 2025.
During the period, Verve Card holders enjoy 10% cashback at The Place Restaurant, Quickteller, Buypower, Filmhouse, AlliExpress, Addide Supermarkets, and Chowdeck app every Thursday to Sunday.
Verve cardholders can now enjoy a 10% cashback on the Google Play Store any day of the week throughout the Good Life Promo, which runs until 30 November 2025. Moreso, every transaction made with a Verve card whether on ATMs, POS terminals, or online platforms automatically earns customers a chance to win up to ₦1,000,000.
Nigeria’s leading telecommunications company, Globacom, has announced enhancement of its data bundles to give subscribers more data volume at the same affordable prices.
The upgrade reinforces the company’s commitment to providing superior value and exceptional customer satisfaction.
The upgraded Glo Data Bundles are enhanced versions of the existing daily, weekly, and monthly plans, giving subscribers more data at no additional cost.
These improvements offer users greater freedom and convenience to enjoy their favourite online activities from streaming and gaming to social media, video calls, and more.
For daily users, the ₦100 plan has been upgraded from 105MB to 125MB, giving light internet users even more data to browse, chat, and stream short videos conveniently.
The weekly bundles have also received notable boosts, such as the ₦1,500 plan, which now offers 6GB instead of 5.9GB, enabling subscribers to stay connected longer.
Heavy data consumers will also enjoy remarkable value on the monthly plans. The ₦2,000 bundle now gives 6.25GB, while the ₦10,000 package has been enhanced from 38GB to 42GB, allowing users to do more from video streaming and large file downloads to remote work and virtual meetings.
Students are not left out, as the Campus Booster Plan has been upgraded with higher data allowances, ensuring seamless access to academic resources and social networks while on campus.
Globacom noted that the revised bundles are available to all Glo customers prepaid, postpaid, and hybrid and can be activated by dialing *312#, using the Glo Café app (available on Android and iOS), or visiting hsi.glo.com.
The company added that subscribers can use, share, or gift data through *312# or the Glo Café app. Customers will also continue to receive data usage alerts at 75% and 100% consumption levels to help monitor usage effectively.
Unused data is automatically rolled over upon renewal before expiry or when a new plan is purchased within the grace period (ranging from one to seven days, depending on the plan).
Globacom reaffirmed its commitment to empowering Nigerians with reliable and affordable data access, urging customers to take advantage of the revised data bundles that combine affordability, quality, and more browsing power ensuring every Glo subscriber enjoys more data without paying more.
Fidelity Bank Plc has congratulated Air Peace on the successful launch of its maiden direct flight from Lagos to London Heathrow, describing the milestone as a significant achievement for Nigeria’s aviation sector and a testament to the power of indigenous partnerships.
The commendation was delivered by Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, managing director of Fidelity Bank, during a special event held in Lagos to celebrate the airline’s expansion into the European market.
“This is not just a win for Air Peace, but a win for Nigeria,” Onyeali-Ikpe said. “It reflects the strength of home-grown businesses and the impact of strategic financial support in enabling national champions to thrive on the global stage.”
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek reports that Fidelity Bank has played a pivotal role in Air Peace’s growth, providing early financial backing and advisory services that helped the airline become the largest carrier in West Africa. The bank continues to support Air Peace through payment processing and other financial services
The launch of the London route marks a new chapter for Air Peace, which now joins a select group of African airlines operating direct flights to Heathrow.
The development is expected to boost tourism, trade, and connectivity between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Speaking at the event, Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace, expressed gratitude to Fidelity Bank for its unwavering support and reaffirmed the airline’s commitment to excellence and service.
“This partnership has been instrumental in our journey,” Onyema said. “We are proud to fly the Nigerian flag across international skies.”
Industry stakeholders present at the event praised the collaboration between the two companies as a model for sustainable business growth and national development.
