FirstBank Ignites Global Kindness with 2025 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Week
csrreporters 
First Bank, West Africa’s premier bank and a leading champion of financial inclusion, is set to host its 2025 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CR&S) Week from 27 October to 1 November 2025. Now in its ninth year, the annual event reflects the Bank’s unwavering commitment to community empowerment, environmental stewardship, and advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through its flagship Start Performing Acts of Random Kindness (SPARK) initiative, FirstBank continues to inspire acts of generosity and community upliftment. During CR&S Week, employees across the Bank’s global network including Nigeria, UK, Gambia, Sierra Leone, DRC, Guinea, Ghana, and Senegal will dedicate their time and resources to causes aligned with the Bank’s sustainability strategy.
Acting Group Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications, Olayinka Ijabiyi, said, “CR&S Week is a call to action. It’s about showing up for humanity and proving that even small acts of kindness can ripple into lasting change. Since 2017, our SPARK initiative has encouraged employees and communities to give back while fostering a culture of empathy and social responsibility.”
Among the week’s planned activities, the Bank aims to plant at least 20,000 trees in partnership with the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), contributing to Nigeria’s 2060 decarbonisation agenda. This builds on a prior commitment to plant 50,000 trees by 2025, with 31,000 already planted.
In support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality), FirstBank will also collaborate with Borno and Katsina States to provide medical interventions, including surgeries and post-care kits, for women living with Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF).
CR&S Week will feature webinars, school engagements, and outreach to orphanages, internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, and charitable organisations across Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa, and the UK. Through these activities, FirstBank seeks to instill the values of generosity, civility, and compassion in employees, students, and communities.
Since its inception in 2017, CR&S Week has become a global platform for mobilising stakeholders to champion causes that protect the environment, empower communities, and promote inclusive development. FirstBank continues to inspire individuals to go beyond their daily routines and perform acts of random kindness.
About FirstBank
Founded in 1894, First Bank of Nigeria Limited (“FirstBank”) is West Africa’s premier bank and a leader in financial inclusion and digital banking. With a presence across Africa, Europe, and Asia, including subsidiaries in the UK, DRC, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and a representative office in Beijing, FirstBank offers a comprehensive range of retail and wholesale financial services.
The Bank serves over 43 million customers across 772 of Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas through 820 offices and over 280,000 agents. It also provides pension fund custody services through First Pension Custodian Nigeria Limited and nominee services via First Nominees Nigeria Limited.
FirstBank is committed to diversity and inclusion, with women representing 41% of employees and 37% of management positions. Its FirstBank Women Network and UN Women membership further demonstrate the Bank’s alignment with the Women Empowerment Principles.
FirstBank has earned international acclaim for excellence, including multiple awards for Best Retail Bank, Best SME Bank, Best Private Bank, and leadership in ESG and corporate responsibility. Its global credit ratings A+ (positive outlook), A (nga), and ngBBB+ (stable) reflect its strong financial standing.
Guided by its vision “To be Africa’s Bank of first choice” and mission “To remain true to our name by providing the best financial services possible,” FirstBank’s strategy is anchored on EPIC values Entrepreneurship, Professionalism, Innovation, and Customer Centricity and aims to drive accelerated growth through disciplined execution and customer-led innovation.