Business
How to Do Well by Doing Good – Adesola Adeduntan, CEO, FirstBank
By Omar Ben Yedder
I travel to meet Dr Adesola Adeduntan in Edinburgh, where he has been invited to give a keynote address at the Edinburgh School of Business about the role of financial institutions in driving financial inclusion.Fittingly, as you land in Edinburgh, you are greeted by billboards from different investment funds advertising their credentials in responsible and sustainable investment and how environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations underpin their activities.
With economists and politicians questioning capitalism and the Western liberal model, today the emphasis is very much on a stakeholder-based approach, whereby growth and prosperity is more equally attributed and takes into consideration the needs of the wider community. Sustainable investment has become de rigueur among corporate jargon.
Dr Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan, CEO of First Bank of Nigeria, is a veteran in the Nigerian banking and corporate world. His overriding message, clearly expressed throughout his interview responses, and also at the various talks he gave during the day (at the Business School and at a law firm), is on the importance of doing good if you’re to do well – financially – in Nigeria and indeed, Africa.
A telling sign
FirstBank is actually the oldest bank in Africa. It was established in Lagos in 1894 as the Bank of British West Africa. Last year it celebrated its 125th anniversary. It is also the biggest bank in Nigeria in terms of assets and branch network.
For Adeduntan, a veterinary doctor by training, it becomes clear, once we have settled down for our discussion, that the institution’s longevity is a telling sign: it not only proves the bank’s resilience, it also shows that it has the right structures in terms of governance and the right business model, with the country’s development at its core. The theme of the anniversary celebrations was about how the bank has been woven into the fabric of Nigerian society.
The clear message to the industry is that while it is possible to make a quick buck, you can only enjoy the sort of longevity it has if you conduct your business with the interests of the country at heart.
Nonetheless, it’s apparent Adeduntan does not want to dwell too long on past glories. Using the analogy of a car, he says that there is a reason why the windshield is large whilst the rear-view mirror is small.
The challenge of fintech
As in most sectors, traditional ways of doing business have been coming under increasing disruption from ever-evolving technology. The banking industry is no exception and seems to be under siege from an expanding fintech onslaught.
I ask him if he is worried that non-financial companies will be entering the banking sector, especially given the recent change in regulation by the Central Bank that allows non-traditional finance institutions, namely mobile operators, to enter the fray.
He says he is not worried as his bank has one of the best defined strategies when it comes to financial inclusion and that it has the largest digital banking network in Nigeria.
Much of this has been developed through the bank’s FirstMonie Agents system: 46,000 agents represent the bank across the country. Currently, 9m customers transact on their USSD platform (by mobile phone, both smart and analogue) in addition to 3m customers transacting on the FirstMobile platform.
The agent network, the biggest of its kind in the country, enables the bank to provide services to the most remote rural communities; and because it doesn’t need to have an extensive branch network, it means that these services can be supplied at a fraction of the cost of a ‘legacy’ banking model.
Financial deepening
Adeduntan prefers to use the phrase ‘financial deepening’ when talking about the unbanked. Financial inclusion has increased from the low 20s to approximately 40% in Nigeria over the past seven years and is expected to double to the mid-80s within the next five years.
He says ‘financial deepening’ occurs when financial inclusion starts playing an important role in economic development. It’s about layering additional products on the current agency banking network – services such as micro-credit, micro-insurance and micro-pension.
The aim is to provide value-added services whilst at the same time increasing the savings rate; this aspect, which is critical in driving investment rates, has been one factor behind Asia’s rapid growth.
It is in this area, he says, that the bank has a vital role to play and a distinct advantage over new entrants. Technology, he emphasises, will play a crucial part in broadening financial inclusion. In addition, it is important to partner and collaborate with different stakeholders such as NGOs and other organisations dealing with the bottom of the pyramid, to help them reach out to different groups and also improve financial literacy.
Last year saw a boom in venture capital investment into Nigeria. For example, $400m was invested in a number of fintech start-ups during November alone. Is he not worried that these fintech players, with their lower cost base and ability to use technology, AI and big data to overcome traditional hurdles, are going to take the majority share of the pie when it comes to servicing the unbanked?
He says that will only be the case if the banks do not manage to reinvent themselves. In Edinburgh, he actually spent a large part of his day visiting tech hubs around the university in the city and speaking to fintech companies. FirstBank, he adds, has a number of partnerships with fintechs as well as its own Digital Laboratory developing new solutions for the bank.
Nevertheless, he firmly believes that the ‘legacy banks’ will still continue to play a very central role, especially “in this part of the world where banks are quite dominant and they have significant buying power”.
In terms of settlements and deposits, he sees many of these new players as partners they can work with, even if in some areas they will be competitors.
Scope for growth
Despite the impressive strides made by the banking sector in Nigeria, Adeduntan believes there is still a massive scope for growth for the sector. He points out that none of the country’s top banks have made the Top 10 Banks in Africa list, despite Nigeria being the continent’s largest economy.
He thinks that with the signing of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, “we are entering a very interesting period for the banking sector, not only in Nigeria but Africa in general”.
On the domestic front, does he expect further consolidation? “Within certain thresholds,” he answers. “Anything that would allow the strengthening of the entire banking sector, I am sure the Governor of the Central Bank would be positive about.”
He also points to demographics and the high rate of the unbanked as great opportunities for the growth of the sector continentally. “According to UNICEF, two billion babies will be born in Africa in the next 30 years,” he says. “And in places like DRC [where FirstBank has a presence] financial penetration is as low as 5%.” Put the two sets of figures together and, in theory at least, you get vast opportunity. But he adds the all-important caveat that demographics are only good if managed properly.
Supporting national champions
It hasn’t all been plain sailing for the bank, however. Adeduntan inherited a bank with several large exposures in the oil & gas and energy sectors, at a time when the oil & gas prices fell considerably, resulting in the devaluation of the naira against the dollar.
He says his management weathered the storm, reduced NPL levels to under double digits, and has strengthened the risk infrastructure, thus enabling the bank to better deal with cyclical downturns in future.
Discussing the role of large companies in the commercial landscape, Adeduntan says it is essential to have big banks like FirstBank, just as it is vital to have national champion companies that have the scale and wherewithal to make transformative investment. Such companies require financial institutions of similar scale to support them. The Dangote Group’s investment into what will become the continent’s largest oil refinery is a case in point, he adds.
Role of the Central Bank
We move on to the regulator and the role of the Central Bank. Does he think that it is too interventionist, dictating how much banks should lend, where they should place their assets?
Adeduntan refused to be drawn into criticism of the regulator, with whom he says he, and other bank CEOs, have a strong relationship. But he did say that the role of a central bank in the development of an emerging economy is clearly different from the role of a central bank in a developed economy.
“It is not unusual that the Central Bank intervenes in critical sectors allied to the loan to deposit ratio. It’s about economic growth; it’s about development; it’s about channelling credit in sectors that are very important for the national economy.
“Let us take agriculture – again, we are one of the biggest lenders into that sector. We found the Central Bank intervention in some of those critical sectors extremely useful and not just for us as a bank, but for the country as a whole. When you look at intervention in agriculture, you have to put it in the context of the size of the population. Nigeria is a country of 200m people today. The business of feeding 200m people is a strategic business. Everything that is being done to ensure that at least we are self-sufficient in food production is strategically important. We find the Central Bank intervention in those areas quite useful and of national importance.”
He reflected the positive attitude of many Nigerian entrepreneurs to the country’s future. He says he has a lot of time for the Economic Advisory Council – composed of credible business leaders and economists – that has been put together by President Muhammadu Buhari. And despite reports that the government is not economy-minded, he thinks that it is a pro-business government.
Ethical banking
It is nearly 10.00 in the evening when we finish our talk, his day having started at 07.30am. We go back to sustainability and the role of financial services to make sure they are lending to institutions that are ethical about their business and operating in a sustainable manner.
He says that the journey has started even if it is still early days. “But ultimately,” he says, “this is where we are headed. The Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principle speaks to this particular question. I think it’s evident from the points that I’ve made today, you can say that FirstBank is a bank that is happy to forego a few basis points in terms of its net margins, if that means it is contributing to development in a more ethical and sustainable way.
“We’ve always made a point that profitability is very important for us at FirstBank, but economic growth and national development is equally very important and speaks to the sustainability question.”
Business
Dangote Refinery Distances Self from Petrol Pump Price Hike
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has distanced itself from allegations of arbitrarily increasing petrol pump prices.
The refinery attributed the recent adjustment in the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit to fluctuations in global crude oil prices.
This was contained in a press release titled “Increase in Pump Price Not From Us”, issued on Sunday by Anthony Chiejina, Group Chief Branding and Communication Officer.
The statement read: “The recent adjustment in our ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) is directly related to the significant increase in global crude oil prices.
“As crude oil remains the primary input in the production of PMS, any fluctuation in its international price inevitably impacts the cost of the finished product.”
The refinery clarified that while its ex-depot price increased by 5%, from N899.50 to N950 per litre, the adjustment remains significantly lower than the 15% rise in global crude oil prices.
“Brent Crude rose from $70 to $82 in a matter of days, alongside the premium for Nigerian crude (approximately $3 per barrel). Despite this, we have kept our Single-Point Mooring (SPM) ex-vessel price steady at N895 per litre,” the statement added.
In a bid to shield consumers from the full impact of rising costs, Dangote Refinery disclosed it has absorbed approximately 50% of the cost increases caused by surging global crude oil prices.
The refinery’s partners, including Ardova, Heyden, and MRS Holdings, will retail petrol at a uniform price of N970 per litre across Nigeria.
“Without our intervention, the retail price of PMS could have risen to N1,150 or even N1,200 per litre in some locations. This demonstrates our unwavering commitment to affordability and quality, even in challenging times,” the statement explained.
To address concerns over price transparency, the company announced plans to publish its ex-depot, ex-vessel, and pump prices on a weekly basis.
“In the interest of transparency and good governance, consumers will now have access to accurate information to ensure they are not exploited,” the statement assured.
Additionally, the company expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for introducing the Naira for Crude Initiative, describing it as “visionary.” Dangote Refinery noted that the initiative ensures consistent access to high-quality PMS for Nigerians while mitigating the effects of global oil market volatility.
The statement concluded with a reaffirmation of the company’s dedication to serving Nigerians.
“We sincerely appreciate the continued trust and support of Nigerians as we strive to deliver the best value for their money and contribute to the development of a self-sufficient economy that is resilient to international price fluctuations,” it said.
The Punch
Business
The Real Story: FirstBank Debunks Misleading Report
Leading financial institution, FirstBank of Nigeria Limited, has debunked reports making the rounds as regards its transaction with General Hydrocarbons Limited, which has become a subject of litigation.
In a statement by the management, and made available to Pointblank.ng, the bank insisted that it has been on the right side of the law while assuring customers, stakeholders and friends of the bank of its unflinching stand in the provision of first class services. It also expressed its appreciation to subscribers for holding faith with the parent body, FirstHoldco in the first round of its capital raise.
The full statement is represented below:
Our attention has been drawn to recent media reports regarding a commercial transaction between First Bank of Nigeria Limited (FirstBank) and General Hydrocarbons Limited (GHL) that is currently a subject of litigation.
As a responsible and law-abiding corporate citizen of Nigeria with utmost respect for the courts, FirstBank will not be able to offer comments on issues which are pending for determination by the courts, as such issues are sub-judice.
However, we are constrained to issue the following clarifications to correct the sponsored but false narratives on the matter presented in some of the media publications.
There is a subsisting commercial transaction between FirstBank as lender, and GHL as borrower, where FirstBank extended several credit facilities to GHL for the development of some Oil Mining Lease assets.
These facilities are backed by very robust loan agreements executed by the parties in which the obligations of the parties are clearly defined and the security arrangement clearly spelt out.
While FirstBank has diligently performed its obligations under the loan agreements, at the root of the present dispute is FirstBank’s demand for good governance and transparency in the transaction, which GHL rejected.
Upon FirstBank’s realization of breaches on the part of GHL including diversion of proceeds, FirstBank requested that an independent operator mutually acceptable to both parties be appointed in line with the terms of the agreement, to operate the financed asset in a transparent manner that will bring greater visibility to the project, protect the interest of, and bring value to all stakeholders. Not only did GHL roundly reject this reasonable and fair request, rather GHL insisted that FirstBank avails it with more funding. GHL refused to execute the terms of offer stipulated by the Bank for the availment of additional funding but rather proceeded to commence needless Arbitral proceedings.
GHL issued a notice to initiate arbitration and has no substantive claim pending at the Federal High Court. GHL approached the Federal High Court solely to seek preservative orders pending arbitration. Some of the preservative orders sought by GHL were granted while others were denied.
FirstBank is the only party that filed a substantive claim against GHL at the Federal High Court and the subject matter of FirstBank ‘s claim is not identical with the dispute GHL submitted to arbitration because FirstBank’s claim is in respect of subsequent credit facilities granted to GHL and the offer letters and finance documents pertaining to the subsequent transactions clearly state that the disputes arising from the subsequent facilities are to be resolved by a court of competent jurisdiction in Nigeria and not by arbitration.
Consequently, it is incorrect to assert that FirstBank abused the process of the court.
GHL off-took crude from the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel and diverted the proceeds. The Bank had no choice as a secured lender, under these circumstances of continued breaches, non-payment of due obligations and attempts to shield the Bank away from agreed security and repayment sources, than to approach the court for legal remedies, to preserve assets, recover the diverted proceeds, prevent reoccurrences and safeguard FirstBank’s interest. It is clear to us that the courts do not support or protect illegalities and breaches of contracts.
FirstBank has a long and very rich history of supporting and providing for the financial needs of its customers over its more than 130 years of unbroken existence. FirstBank remains committed to ensuring that it continues to support legitimate business aspirations of its teeming customers. At the same time, FirstBank is committed to the building of a strong credit culture where borrowers pay their debts when they borrow and will always take appropriate steps, within the ambit of the law, to resist attempts by borrowers to repudiate their repayment obligations.
We wish to assure FirstBank’s numerous customers, stakeholders and the general public that FirstBank remains solid, calm, steadfast and unflinching in its resolve to continue to provide first-class services to its teeming customers within and outside the country.
FirstBank also wishes to respectfully thank our shareholders for the indicatively oversubscribed Rights Issue of its parent Company, First Holdco Plc (“FirstHoldco”), in the first round of its capital raise and looks forward to an equally successful final leg of the recapitalization exercise when it is announced by FirstHoldco.
Business
Legacy Promo: UBA Rewards Customers with N41m in Final Edition
Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has distributed over N41.8m in prizes to over 100 lucky customers in its just concluded UBA Legacy Promo series.
The promo which began last year, was specially designed by the bank to celebrate UBA’s rich legacy spanning over 75 years, as well as its long-standing commitment towards rewarding its loyal customers in a grand style.
The campaign, which was opened to several categories of Account holders including Bumper Account holders, Savings account, Kiddies & Teens Account holders as well as Nextgen account holders, also saw lucky customers winning other consolidation prizes including educational grants.
The winners were announced during the Grand Finale draw of the promo which held at the UBA Head-office, Marina, Lagos last Thursday and was witnessed by members journalists and representatives of relevant regulatory bodies including the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), among other stakeholders.
In the Savings Account category, ten loyal customers walked away with N1,000,000 each. The lucky winners are: Olonade Funmilayo, Abdullahi Yunusa, Anibueze Augustine Chidozie, Ibironke Adedayo, Gilbert Godswill Pepple, Ekonmene Daniel Leghemo, Oligbo Francis Azuka, Liafeez Adebowale, Abiodun Bolanle Felicia, and Adamu Bappayo.
When contacted over the phone, one of the winners, Mr. Oligbo Francis Azuka, who won N1,000,000 in the savings account category expressed his surprise and excitement, stating that it was totally unexpected. He was however grateful to the bank for the gesture, adding: “I am deeply grateful and surprised by this reward from UBA. I honestly, didn’t expect this. I really appreciate the fact that UBA recognizes me. I am very grateful,” he stated.
The Bumper Category saw 10 people who emerged winners of N1,000,000 each. They are: Emem Christian Thompson, Lateefat Omotayo Waheed, Victoria Oluwaferanmi Adebusoye, Nkechinyere Agnes Okolo, Ibrahim Rabiu, Hammed Akande Idowu, Modester Chiadikobi Nwoke, Ajisafe Folashade Success, Thelma Ndubisi Enajiyerin, and Sunday Obaje.
20 lucky customers also received N500,000 each. They are: Ojo Goroye Banjo, Sandra Christopher Effiong, Femi Henry Idehen, Rashida Oiza Momohjimoh, Umar Usman, Joshua Chidera Nweke, Racheal Erhieyovwe, and Fatima Muhammed. Others include Ogbonna Edward, Eziuche Goodluck Chinyere, Lydia Bawa, Obiajulu Augustine Agwazia, Sale Barde, and Sikiru Morakinyo; Tajudeen Kareem Opeloyeru, Regina Queen Abeekaa, Isaac M. Ponfa, Mary Amos, Emmanuel Isa, and Amaechi Okoro.
Also in the bumper category another twenty customers got N250,000 each, while 10 lucky customers each won N100,000 each during the live draws.
In the NextGen category, Emmanuel Olakotan Oke, Sharon Oluwafunmilayo Ibitoye, Fortunate Izegboya Ijewemen, Anozie Janerose Chinelo, Maryam Zaharaddeen, Oluwakamikun Faidat Taiwo, Daniel Ayomikun Olawale, Ayomide Goodness Olowodara, Dennis Ogina Gbele, and Ofeoritse Jessica Waya each received N180,000 pocket money for a year.
The Kiddies and Teens category, also saw 20 young customers receiving N200,000 each in educational grants.
UBA’s Group Head, Retail and Digital Banking, Shamsideen Fashola, who spoke at the event, emphasized the significance of the promotion in strengthening the relationship between the bank and its community.
He said, “UBA Legacy Promo is our way of saying thank you to our loyal customers who have trusted us over the years. As we celebrate 75 years of impact, we remain committed to deepening financial inclusion and providing innovative and customer-focused products and services. Our goal is to make banking more rewarding and life-changing, improving lives and building stronger communities.”
Over the past six months, from July till December 2024, UBA has through a series of draws; cluster, monthly, and quarterly draws, rewarded over 600 customers with prizes totaling more than ₦200 million. This remarkable initiative has created over 60 millionaires, highlighting the bank’s commitment to enriching the lives of its customers and promoting savings culture, as UBA continues to reaffirm its dedication to launching more impactful initiatives, ensuring customer satisfaction and financial well-being remain at the forefront of its operations.
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 edge technology.