Business
FirstBank Offers Support To SMEs in Education Sector Through the Pandemic
By Chinyere Nwokeoma, NAN
First Bank of Nigeria Limited has offered to give financial support to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Education Sector to cushion the effects of the COVID -19 pandemic. Mr. Bankole Adediran, Head, Transaction Banking Products, FirstBank, made this known at the Bank’s SMEConnect webinar with theme: “Managing Your School through the Pandemic: Engagement and Retention Strategies”.
Adediran said that the Bank was ready to partner with SMEs in the education sector through the period of the novel coronavirus pandemic to sustain their businesses.
“FirstBank, as an institution, is very passionate about education, and will continue to support the sector,” he said.
He said that the Bank would continue to reinforce its leading role at enabling the growth of the educational sector in the country.
Adediran said that the Bank had an array of financial products that could be accessed by SMEs in the educational sector in the period of COVID -19.
He said SMEs in the sector could key into FirstEdu Loan targeted at private nursery, primary and secondary schools to assist the schools in achieving their desired growth in medium and long terms.
According to him, the product provides funding advancement of up to N20 million for schools with a minimum of 100 students with school fees collection domiciled at FirstBank.
Adediran said that, with the product, school owners/proprietors could stay ahead to make learning easy and conducive for students.
He said the Bank had launched various interventions and initiatives to support the sector to navigate through challenges occasioned by COVID -19.
He noted that FirstBank recently launched an e-learning initiative aimed at reaching out to one million students across the country to ensure they would be academically engaged while at home.
Adediran also said that the Bank supported 10 universities and three secondary schools across the country with major infrastructure projects.
He added that the Bank donated 20,000 e-learning devices to the Lagos State Government to promote online learning for students in the public schools.
Adediran urged schools must learn from the COVID -19 pandemic by embracing automation to plug leakages in the sector.
Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, Commissioner for Education, Lagos State, who was a panelist at the webinar, commended the Bank for donating 20,000 devices with six months data, to the state for e-learning.
Adefisayo said the state reached out to many companies for support at the wake of the pandemic and that FirstBank came to its aid.
She disclosed that all the schools were not prepared for the situation, noting that most children in public schools did not have device and data for online learning.
“This pandemic has been a terrible thing, and one lesson from it is that we have not invested enough in solutions we can deplore at a time like this,” Adefisayo said.
She said that the pandemic had forced Nigerians to be more creative and innovative, adding that schooling would no longer be the same again.
Adefisayo called on teachers to change their teaching and learning strategies, saying that COVID -19 had changed learning.
Also, Dr. Yomi Otubela, President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), said the association had responded greatly by interfacing between government and its agencies since the beginning of the pandemic.
Otubela said the Central Bank of Nigeria was working out modalities for palliatives for schools and teachers who had not been receiving salaries since the pandemic started.
He noted that there had been an increase in rape, kidnapping and robbery as a result of COVID -19.
Mr. Wale Abioye, Team Lead, Customer Practice in Management Consulting (KPMG), said the pandemic had impacted negatively on many sectors of the economy, especially education.
Abioye highlighted some of the negative impacts of the pandemic to include financial/economic, structural, social and policy challenges.
He said many SMEs in the educational sector could be out of business due to the pandemic, thereby increasing unemployment rate.
Mr. Babatunde Vaughan, Education Lead, Modern Classroom, Microsoft Nigeria, said the company had introduced a lot of products to make online learning easy and interesting.
“COVID -19 is a very unique period for everyone, change has come and we will continue to experience change.
“We must be more proactive than reactive,” Vaughan urged.
Sterling Bank, on Wednesday, announced the removal of account maintenance fees on all personal accounts, describing the decision as a “gift” to Nigerians in celebration of the country’s 65th Independence Day.
The decision, which follows the abolition of transfer fees on local online transactions in April 2025, was outlined in a statement shared by the bank. The bank said the policy would allow customers to keep more of their earnings, framing it as a step toward financial freedom.
“Every fee we remove is one less barrier between our customers and true financial freedom. This was the rationale behind eliminating transfer fees in April, and it is the same principle we uphold as we eliminate account maintenance fees,” Sterling Bank’s Managing Director, Abubakar Suleiman, said.
The statement highlighted that in 2024 alone, tier-1 banks in Nigeria earned over ₦650 billion from account maintenance and e-banking charges. “This decision cuts at the heart of a revenue model that has long cost Nigerian customers dearly,” the bank noted.
Obinna Ukachukwu, Sterling’s Growth Executive for Consumer and Business Banking, said the initiative was intended to strengthen long-term relationships with customers. “This initiative is about building lasting relationships that fuel sustainable growth. We put transparency and customer value first, and in doing so, we are building a foundation that serves both our customers and Sterling’s future,” he said.
Sterling Bank also framed the removal of fees as part of a broader strategy to make banking more inclusive and customer-focused. The April 2025 transfer fee abolition had already eliminated charges on all local online transactions, easing costs for individuals and small businesses. At the time, Ukachukwu described the move as a values-driven decision aimed at ensuring fair access to money.
“Access to your own money shouldn’t come with a penalty. This is more than a financial decision—it’s about redefining banking to put customers first,” Ukachukwu said.
The latest move aligns with Sterling’s positioning as a bank committed to transparency, customer value, and digital innovation, and it signals a continued effort to reshape banking practices in Nigeria.
Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc has reported a profit before tax of N600.9 billion for the half year ended June 30, 2025.
The figure is contained in the company’s audited consolidated and separate financial statements, which were released to the Nigerian Exchange Group and the London Stock Exchange.
The group stated that the performance was driven by growth in core earnings lines, including interest income and fee income, which rose year-on-year by 31.5% and 33.0%, respectively.
It explained that the growth helped to cushion the absence of N493.01 billion in fair value gains recorded in 2024, resulting in a 40 per cent decline.
GTCO stated that its total assets stood at N16.7 trillion, while shareholders’ funds totaled N3.0 trillion during the review period.
It added that its balance sheet remained strong, diversified, and de-risked across operating jurisdictions, as well as its payments, pension, and funds management businesses.
The group disclosed that its Capital Adequacy Ratio closed at 36.2 per cent, while asset quality improved with IFRS 9 Stage 3 loans declining to 3.2 per cent.
At the group level, Stage 3 loans stood at 4.5 per cent, compared with 5.2 per cent in December 2024.
Similarly, the cost of risk improved to 1.7 per cent from 4.9 per cent recorded in December 2024.
The company stated that its net loan book increased by 20.5 per cent, from N2.79 trillion in December 2024 to N3.36 trillion in June 2025.
Deposit liabilities also increased by 16.6 per cent from N10.40 trillion to N12.13 trillion during the same period.
The board of GTCO approved an interim dividend of N1.00 per share for the half year ended June 30, 2025.
Commenting on the results, Segun Agbaje, Group Chief Executive Officer, said the half-year performance reflected business strength and progress towards building a diversified financial services ecosystem.
He said beyond last year’s extraordinary one-off gains, the group was now driving sustainable growth with recurring earnings that demonstrated the resilience and scalability of its model.
Mr Agbaje noted that continued investment in technology, particularly in core banking upgrades, was delivering stronger uptime, efficiency, and greater capacity to scale with a growing customer base.
He added that across banking, funds management, pension, and payments, GTCO was leveraging a de-risked balance sheet to reinforce its market position while maintaining strategic flexibility. According to him, this foundation positions the group to seize emerging opportunities and deliver lasting value for all stakeholders.
Mr Agbaje stressed that GTCO had continued to post some of the best metrics in Nigeria’s financial services industry in terms of key financial ratios. He said the group recorded Pre-Tax Return on Equity of 60.4 per cent, Pre-Tax Return on Assets of 10.6 per cent, Capital Adequacy Ratio of 36.2 per cent, and Cost-to-Income ratio of 30.1 per cent.
NAN
In line with its commitments of promoting sports and developmental initiatives at all levels, First Bank of Nigeria Limited is partnering the organizers of the first of its kind E1 Lagos GP an all-electric powerboat racing championship, set to hold between the 3rd and 5th of October 2025.
Disclosing this at the E1 Lagos GP Stakeholder Immersion session in Lagos recently, Olayinka Ijabiyi, the Acting Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communication of FirstBank, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to supporting initiatives that engender human development across the country while cementing legacies.
“Our involvement in the E1 Lagos GP is about driving legacy and enabling the passions and aspirations that unite Nigerians. We are a bank that has been in business for over 131 years and we recognize that sports drives us as a country, which is why through our First@Sports initiative, we continue to invest in platforms that inspire and elevate our people. We have been supporting legacy sport tournaments like the Georgian Polo Cup which we have hosted for 105 years, and the Lagos Amateur Open Golf Championship for 64 years now,” Ijabiyi said.
With the event slated for the start of the fourth quarter, FirstBank is aligning its partnership with the annual DecemberIssaVybe initiative, a campaign that celebrates the vibrant spirit of Nigerians during the festive season by curating unforgettable experiences that blend culture, entertainment and lifestyle. “FirstBank is deeply woven into the fabric of society and the lives of our customers. As presenting partner, we are creating meaningful touchpoints with customers and prospects, offering them a world-class experience of relaxation and celebration that captures the true essence of Lagos during the festive season,” he added.
Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, who was also at the event, described the initiative as an event that will grow not just the sports but also showcase Lagos’s vibrant culture, dynamic people, and global relevance, while commending FirstBank for their support.
The teams owned by notable stars like Tom Brady, LeBron James, Didier Drogba, Will Smith, Marc Anthony, Steve Aoki, Rafael Nadal will compete in the Lagos leg before the 2025 season of the competition terminates in Miami in the United States.
