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With over 43 million customer accounts including digital wallets across Nigeria, the UK, and sub Saharan Africa, FirstBank offers a wide range of retail and wholesale financial services through more than 820 business offices and over 280,000 agent locations spanning 772 of Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas. Beyond traditional banking, FirstBank provides pension fund custody services through First Pension Custodian Nigeria Limited and nominee and related services via First Nominees Nigeria Limited.
The Bank demonstrates its commitment to diversity through policies, initiatives, and partnerships. Women represent 41% of employees and 37% of management roles, supported by the FirstBank Women Network, which promotes gender inclusion across all organizational levels. FirstBank’s membership in UN Women further aligns the Bank with the Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs), emphasizing equal opportunity, inclusion, and nondiscrimination.
FirstBank has consistently been recognized for excellence. Between 2011 and 2016, it was named “Most Valuable Bank Brand in Nigeria” by The Banker Magazine, and it won “Best Retail Bank in Nigeria” eight consecutive times from 2011 to 2018 by the Asian Banker International Excellence in Retail Financial Services Awards.
Credit ratings reflect FirstBank’s financial strength: a Global Credit Rating of A+ with a positive outlook and Fitch and Standard & Poor’s ratings of A (nga) and ngBBB+, both stable, as of September 2023. Notably, the Bank maintained international ratings equal to Nigeria’s sovereign rating a milestone first achieved in 2022.
In 2024, FirstBank earned several prestigious awards, including Nigeria’s Best Bank for ESG and Best Bank for Corporates (Euromoney), Best SME Bank in Africa and Nigeria (The Asian Banker), Best Private Bank in Nigeria and for Sustainable Investing in Africa (Global Finance), and multiple accolades from the Global Banking and Finance Awards across retail, corporate, SME, CSR, and private banking.
The momentum continued into 2025, with international recognitions such as Best SME Bank in Nigeria and Africa (The Asian Banker), Best Private Bank in Nigeria and for Sustainable Investing in Africa (Global Finance), SME Financier of the Year in Nigeria (The Digital Banker), and Best Retail Bank and Best Bank for Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in Nigeria (Annual Global Economics Awards).
Guided by the vision “To be Africa’s Bank of first choice” and the mission “To remain true to our name by providing the best financial services possible”, FirstBank operates on the core values of EPIC Entrepreneurship, Professionalism, Innovation, and Customer Centricity. Its strategic ambition is to deliver accelerated growth in profitability through customer led innovation and disciplined execution.