First Bank marks 125th anniversary, reassures commitment to Nigeria’s development

First Bank of Nigeria Limited on Friday said that it would remain committed to the development and growth of Nigeria as well as the financial industry through enhanced service delivery.

Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, the bank’s Chief Executive Officer, stated this at its 125 years anniversary flag hoisting in Lagos.

Adeduntan said the bank, a long-standing institution, had impacted the nation and the world through various financial products and services.

“From that very modest beginning in 1894, First Bank has traversed an incredible journey of delivering impeccable financial services to its customers and supporting the building of the modern-day Nigeria and indeed, West Africa, including our early pivotal role as the monetary and fiscal policy regulator for the entire West African region,” he said.

He said the bank had provided top class financial services to the country and citizenry and had supported in the past 125 years and would continue in that direction in the future.

Adedubtan said: “As a long-standing institution, which even predates Nigeria as a unified entity, FirstBank is entrenched in the nation’s development; woven into the very fabric of society, with our involvement in every stage of national growth and development.

“At the amalgamation, independence and through the seasons ever after, we have been here marching hand-in-hand with you and our dear nation. We have enabled financial, technological, industrial and societal advancements, achieving very many firsts over time.”

Adeduntan noted that the institution was celebrating 125 years of unbroken business operations in Nigeria, 125 years of supporting and enabling dreams and 125 years of resilience and relevance.

Adeduntan added that it was celebrating 125 years of trust, safety and security as well as 125 years of long term value to all stakeholders.

He said the bank was now building for the next 125 years and beyond and would continue to maintain its leadership position.

The chief executive officer said hoisting of the flag symbolises the identity, impact, permanence and reverence of an institution.

He said the bank was among the few companies in the world that survived over 100 years of existence.

Also speaking, Dipo Fatokun of the Central Bank of Nigeria lauded the bank for its achievement in the development of the financial sector and Nigeria as a whole.

Fatokun said integrity was very important in the banking industry, adding that First Bank had remained a major player both in human capital development and financial service delivery.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that some of the dignitaries at the event were the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu; former CBN Governor, Joseph Sanusi; Oscar Onyema, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Stock  Exchange; Dr. Omobola Johnson, former Minister of Communication Technology; and Chief Nike Akande.