FirstBank institutes professorial chair endowments in universities

First Bank of Nigeria Limited, as part of its long-term commitment to sustainable educational development in Nigeria, has constituted Professional Chair Endowments in 10 universities across the nation. These endowments provide platforms for scholarly research, academic excellence and economic development in these institutions and the country at large.

One of such institutions to benefit from this endowment is the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), where the FirstBank Professional Chair in Computer Science Annual Lecture was delivered recently. Represented by Olubukola Tolu-Akinbogun, branch manager of the bank’s public sector group in Akure, at the public presentation of the bank’s sponsored research report, themed: ‘Security Issues in Nigeria: Getting Ready for The Digital Challenge,’ Bisi Onasanya, group managing director of the bank, said the endowments were meant to promote capacity building and complement the efforts of the Federal Government in educational development.

The research, which focused on cybercrime and its security challenges, enumerated the various issues arising from such crimes and challenges faced in the fight against its increase. It was presented by B.K. Alese, chair occupant of the bank’s endowment at FUTA.

In a welcome address read on his behalf, Onasanya said the research would become a resource tool in aiding our fight against electronic fraud and malpractice as well as enhancing professionalism, regulation and grooming of future leaders for the sector.

“FirstBank is proud to be associated with projects that enhance human capital and economic development in the nation. Since 1994 till date, we have professorial chairs in 10 Nigerian universities, with the total endowments worth over N440 million and we have also strengthened the scheme with infrastructure development. Our vision is to generate sustainable manpower development to drive rapid growth of the national economy,” the bank’s group managing director, said.