First Bank of Nigeria is strongly committed to women empowerment through FirstGem, the bank’s cherished first female-focused product, which is already in its third year.
Three years ago, specifically on 28 October 2016 the bank launched this women-centric account, designed specifically to meet the financial needs of both corporate and entrepreneurial women.
The product, apart from being an account dedicated solely to women, is lifestyle-enhancing as it provides a total lifestyle support for discerning women to enable them meet their economic needs and aspirations.
“With FirstGem therefore our long-term focus is on national economic development. I believe that with the indices we have so far FirstGem is on the right performance track,” Adesola Adeduntan, managing director/CEOsaid at the ’FirstGem’, 3rd anniversary conference in Lagos.
According to him, FirstGem promotes the savings culture, financial literacy, loan management, wealth creation and healthy lifestyle for women. It has a wide array of advisory, health and current awareness services for the discerning woman.
He reiterated that FirstBank is committed to the empowerment of women. “We understand their story and recognise their invaluable contributions to the economy of our nation in particular and the global economy in general”.
Having identified the gaps in their lives, both in corporate Nigeria and in the entrepreneurial space, the bank is committed to bridging those gaps effectively by providing the tools required for women’s empowerment.
Through FirstGem, the bank has organised and participated in several women empowerment programmes, international conferences, seminars and workshops as well as road shows across different cities and states of Nigeria and offshore.
One month after the launch of FirstGem, in 2016, the bank participated in the Benue State Women Empowerment Programme which held in Makurdi and was hosted by the First Lady of Benue State, educating women on building personal wealth and financial independence.
In the first quarter of 2017, FirstGem was launched in Oyo State, in collaboration with the First Lady of Oyo State. During the launch, women of Oyo State were availed various opportunities in trade and commerce, savings and investments, food and agriculture, fashion, tourism, education and lots of other economic empowerment initiatives.
“We were also at the Southern States Governors Wives’ Forum hosted by the First Lady of Abia State in March 2017. The Forum which attracted women from all the 17 Southern States was aimed at creating awareness and consciousness in women as economy change agents assume their rightful place in the global scheme of development,” Adeduntan said.
“At FirstBank, our purpose is to put our customers and stakeholders at the heart of our business; and throughout our 125-year existence, we have focussed on the continuous improvement of our products to meet the bespoke financial needs of our numerous stakeholders”.
In his presentation at the event, Senior Lecturer, IESE Business School, University of Navarra, Professor Kendarp Mehtap, spoke on why it’s important for women to learn negotiation skills.
HOPE MOSES-ASHIKE
