Business
FirstBank Secures $150m Afreximbank Trade Impact Facility to Support Nigeria’s Businesses
African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced the disbursement of a US$150 million finance facility to First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services provider. The funding was provided under Afreximbank’s Pandemic Trade Impact Mitigation Facility (PATIMFA).
Afreximbank’s US$150 million financial support will be accessible to FirstBank customers that are involved in the manufacturing and importation of products and equipment required to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as initiatives to rehabilitate hospitals and strengthen diagnostic and testing capacity. The loan will also be used for the financing of trade debt payments falling due to avert payment defaults in trade debt obligations. In addition, proceeds of the facility will help beneficiary businesses manage the impacts of the Ukraine crisis.
Professor Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, commented: “This new disbursement under PATIMFA is a further proof of the relevance of the programme in helping African economies to recover from the crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since April 2020, when PATIMFA was launched, we are more than proud to have disbursed more than US$7 billion to help Afreximbank member countries manage the adverse impact of the financial, economic and health shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through First Bank, one of our trade finance intermediaries, this $150 million facility will help build the resilience of many businesses to the adverse impacts of the pandemic, while helping them overcome the consequences of the current Ukraine crisis.”
Also expressing his delight in the partnership, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, FirstBank’s CEO, said: “We commend Afreximbank for this impactful financial response. It will immensely contribute to empowering many businesses adversely impacted by the economic shocks caused by Covid-19. The selection of FirstBank as a partner in this initiative is a testament to their confidence in our capacity and proven track record over the years.
As a Bank that has been woven into the fabric of our society for over 128 years, we remain committed to the success of businesses in our host communities and ensuring they are given the needed boost to sustain their operations and further drive economic growth in the nation.”, he concluded.
Access Bank Botswana, a subsidiary of Access Bank Group, has achieved global recognition by securing three prestigious international awards that celebrate its innovation, customer-centric approach, and commitment to social impact. These accolades underscore the Bank’s dedication to transforming Botswana’s financial landscape through digital excellence and purpose-driven banking.
Access Bank was named Best Digital Banking Initiative, Botswana by The Digital Banker Global Retail Banking Innovation Awards 2025 for its ‘SalaryAdvance’ solution. ‘SalaryAdvance’ is a fully digital, short-term credit facility that empowers salaried customers with instant access to up to 200% of their monthly salary. Delivered via mobile app and USSD, the solution combines convenience, transparent pricing, and automated repayments, enhancing financial inclusion and strengthening customer engagement across the market.
Access Bank Botswana also received two awards from the Global Banking & Finance Awards®. Best Bank for Digital Transformation, Botswana 2025, recognising the Bank’s Women Banking Initiative (W Initiative), which empowers women entrepreneurs and professionals through tailored financial solutions, capacity-building, and financial literacy programmes and Best CSR Programme for Employee Engagement, Botswana 2025, acknowledging the Bank’s outstanding contribution to social development through a CSR framework focused on health, education, entrepreneurship, youth development, and environmental sustainability.
Staff have actively supported national clean-up efforts via the World Clean Up campaign, and participated in education drives, youth programmes, and environmental actions that promote long-term social wellbeing.
Commenting on the achievement, Sheperd Aisam, Managing Director of Access Bank Botswana, said, “These awards affirm our journey of transformation and purpose-driven innovation. Through digital excellence and a strong CSR foundation, we are redefining what it means to be a modern, inclusive bank. One that empowers individuals, businesses, and communities to thrive.”
In 2024, the Bank earned recognition for its digital progress and payment leadership, including: Best Bank for Digital Transformation, Botswana 2024 (Global Banking & Finance Review) for nano loans, bank-to-wallet services, and the original SalaryAdvance features; Visa Best Payments Collaborator Award for remittance solutions; XH Smart Banking Partner of the Year for prepaid card innovations and partnerships.
The latest accolades position Access Bank Botswana among Africa’s most forward-thinking financial institutions, reinforcing its alignment with the Access Bank Group’s vision to be the world’s most respected African bank, providing more than banking, and creating opportunities that help customers and communities’ progress.
FirstBank Basketball Club of Nigeria, popularly known as the “Elephant Girls”, have secured their spot in the final round of the Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA), scheduled to hold in Cairo, Egypt from 5-14 December 2025.
The Elephant Girls put on a commanding performance at the FIBA Africa Zone 3 Qualifiers in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, winning all three games. Representing Nigeria as the country’s sole team in the tournament, they overcame fierce competition from Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Benin Republic, Ghana, and Togo in the Zone. Their undefeated run included a 66–55 upset against home favourites CSA of Côte d’Ivoire and a thrilling 63–59 comeback win against FBA of Côte d’Ivoire, after trailing by 20 points in the second quarter.
The remarkable performance, marked by resilience, discipline skill, and mental strength, earned the team a triumphant return to continental basketball after a six-year absence. Emerging as champions of Zone 3 and the only English-speaking team to advance, the Elephant Girls have reaffirmed FirstBank’s long-standing commitment to promoting women’s sports in Nigeria and across Africa.
Speaking on the qualification, FirstBank’s Group Head, Human Capital Management and Development and Chairman of the Sports Council, Olumuyiwa Olulaja, said: “We are incredibly proud of the Elephant Girls for their outstanding performance. They have once again shown the world the strength, resilience, and excellence that define FirstBank.
“At FirstBank, we are committed to continuing our support for sports in Nigeria and Africa, and this victory is a significant step forward in our mission to promote excellence in sports on the continental and global stage,” he added.
The Elephant Girls had advanced to represent Nigeria at the WBLA Qualifiers for FIBA Africa Zone 3, following an impressive Silver Medal finish at the Zenith Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Women’s Premier League.
With their place secured in Cairo, the Elephant Girls are poised to showcase their talent on the continental stage once again, carrying the pride of Nigeria and the FirstBank brand as they aim to make history in the Final Round of the Women’s Basketball League Africa.
Business
UBA Wins Big, Emerges Africa’s Bank of the Year, Best Bank in Nine Out of 20 African Subsidiaries
Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has once again, reaffirmed its leadership as one of the continent’s most innovative and resilient financial institutions, as the bank has, for the third time in five years, been named the African Bank of the year 2025 by the Banker.com.
UBA also won the Best Bank of the Year awards in nine of its 20 African subsidiaries, bringing its total awards this year to ten as UBA Benin, UBA Chad, UBA Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), UBA Liberia, UBA Mali, UBA Mozambique, UBA Senegal, UBA Sierra Leone, and UBA Zambia, all came out tops as the best banks in their respective countries, underscoring the bank’s strength across West, Central and Southern Africa and highlighting the depth of its Pan-African franchise.
The Banker.com, a leading global finance news publication published by the Financial Times of London, organises the annual Bank of the Year Awards, and this year’s edition was held at a grand ceremony at the Peninsula, London, on Wednesday.
The Chief Executive Officer, UBA UK, Deji Adeyelure, received the awards on behalf of the bank, representing the Group Managing Director/CEO, Oliver Alawuba, and was accompanied by the bank’s Head Business Development, Mark Ifashe, and Head, Financial Institutions, Shilpam Jha.
The Banker’s awards are widely regarded as the most respected and rigorous in the global banking industry, celebrating institutions that demonstrate outstanding performance, innovation and strategic execution.
In its remarks on UBA’s winnings, the banker.com said, “For the third time in five years, UBA Group has won the coveted Bank of the Year award for Africa. UBA Group time after time punches above its weight against its larger African rivals. The bank this year also takes home nine separate country awards (one more than it gained for its last continental win in 2024), equivalent to around a quarter of the awards for the continent, and more than any of its continent-wide rivals.”
Continuing, it said, “Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that the awards were won across a broad geographic spread, going to lenders based in the Economic Community of West African States (Benin, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and former member Mali), the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (Chad, Republic of Congo) and the Southern African Development Community (Mozambique, Zambia). Its award wins were particularly notable in the highly competitive categories for Benin and Mozambique.”
The Banker also highlighted UBA’s strong financial performance and commitment to future growth. In 2024, the Group recorded a 46.8 per cent increase in assets and a 6.1 per cent rise in pre-tax profits in local currency terms, while continuing to invest significantly in talent and technology. West Africa remains UBA’s heartland, with operating revenue and profit increasing by 87 per cent and 89 per cent respectively in H1 2025.
The bank’s digital and innovation leadership was equally recognised. During the year under review, and launched its Advance Top-Up buy-now-pay-later feature on the *919# USSD platform, expanding financial access for customers, while the bank’s chatbot Leo continued its strong growth trajectory, with transaction volumes rising by 29 per cent year-on-year in H1 2025. Notably, in August, Leo became the first African banking chatbot to enable cross-border payments via the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS).
UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, while reacting to the achievement, said the recognition affirms the bank’s long-term strategy and customer-first philosophy.
“This honour reflects the strength of our Pan-African network, the trust of our customers, and the dedication of our people. Winning Africa’s Bank of the Year for the third time in five years is not by chance; it is a testament to disciplined execution, innovation, and a deep understanding of the markets we serve,” Alawuba said.
“Our nine country awards across diverse regions of Africa show that UBA is not just growing, but growing with impact. We remain committed to driving financial inclusion, supporting economic development, and deploying technology that makes banking simpler, faster, and more accessible to Africans everywhere,” he added.
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, 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-edge technology.
