Home » FIRSTBANK ENHANCES PALLIATIVE MEASURES, PROMOTES e-LEARNING FOR NIGERIANS

FIRSTBANK ENHANCES PALLIATIVE MEASURES, PROMOTES e-LEARNING FOR NIGERIANS

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Nigeria’s leading financial inclusion services provider, FirstBank, has unveiled enhanced palliative measures to help its customers and Nigerians through these times of the extended COVID 19 lockdown in some states. 

Amongst these measures are; the introduction of  special waivers on repayment fees on the Bank’s credit cards as well as up to 90-days moratorium on SME loans. The aim of these is to cushion the impact of the toll on employment and livelihoods.

It was announced in the course of the week that the Lagos State Government & Roducate e-learning initiative – sponsored by FirstBank – had kicked off. The initiative includes the government accredited curriculum for primary, secondary and tertiary schools designed to ensure children are adequately guided and engaged through their learning experience.

Upon the lockdown in March, the Bank had announced to move One Million children to e-learning which is implemented with a number of renowned organisations that have come on board from within and outside the continent. These partners include IBM, which is providing opportunities for the acquisition of digital skills including Coding, Artificial Intelligence and Data Science & Analytics which would promote opportunities to learn skills of the future. These measures are taken in identifying with the roles of children at securing the future of any country.

Reflecting on the words by Benjamin Franklin, thus ‘an investment in knowledge pays the best interest’ Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, CEO, FirstBank said “in keeping with who we are at FirstBank, our commitment to self-development and continuous improvement is never far from our thinking. As such we are encouraging all to consider and register for any of the excellent programmes being offered free by Ivy League schools and have curated a list of them covering topics such as management, personal development, and entrepreneurship which can be found on our website. 

In addition, Dr. Adeduntan stated that “with these measures, we are delighted to support our customers because you all have empowered us to do so by choosing to Bank with us. This is indeed a time to double down efforts and explore opportunities to ease the impact of the extension on you.

Once again, we appreciate our customers for the giant strides achieved on our alternative channels, as we assure you of our commitment to continue to work tirelessly to provide essential banking services across these channels. The transaction volumes is a positive testimony to the resilience of our staff and your Bank to keep things going as COVID 19 will neither defeat nor slow us down. We remain fully persuaded that together we will overcome this too.” 

“Our experience over 126 years tells us the solutions lie within us, more than ever as we uphold our promise to you to be here for you and put You First always,” he concluded.

About Author

TRIBUTE TO PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI, GCFR With a deeply heavy heart and profound sense of personal loss, I join millions of Nigerians and friends around the world to mourn the passing of our former President, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his beloved wife, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, his children, and his entire extended family. I also condole with the government and people of Katsina State, especially the Daura Emirate, where President Buhari’s journey in life began — a town whose name has become inextricably linked with his legacy. President Buhari’s record of service to Nigeria is almost unparalleled. From the battlefield to the ballot box, he stood as a sentinel of duty. As a military officer, Head of State, and twice-elected President, he offered over five decades of his life to the service of our nation in times of strife and in peaceful times — guided always by a belief in discipline, integrity, and nationhood. What often went unnoticed in public commentary was his unwavering commitment to the core values that bind any serious society: order, punctuality, and accountability. He did not just talk about these values; he lived them. He was perhaps the most punctual public servant I ever encountered — never late to cabinet meetings, always respecting the time of others. It may seem a small thing, but in governance, it is everything. It sets a tone. He had a deep yearning for a society governed by rules, not by impulse. This found early expression in his War Against Indiscipline, a campaign often misread as rigid but rooted in a desire to rebuild a citizenry of order, courtesy, and civic responsibility. I feel privileged to have served in his cabinet — first in the consolidated Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, and later in the restructured Ministry of Works and Housing. President Buhari was not a man to micromanage; instead, he gave you the space and the trust to deliver. With that trust, however, came the highest expectations of discipline, results, and honesty. He had a quiet strength. Yet, within and outside the cabinet, I witnessed his compassion — his deep concern for the poor, the pensioner, the soldier in the trenches, the almajiri child, and the underserved in every part of this country. Under his leadership, the nation confronted formidable challenges: insurgency, economic volatility, a global pandemic, and deep political tension. Yet he remained consistent — never ruled by noise or poll ratings, only by the burden of responsibility and his belief in posterity’s judgment. His death marks the end of a defining chapter in Nigeria’s journey — one marked by sacrifice, moral authority, and patriotic resolve. But even in death, President Muhammadu Buhari leaves behind a living legacy: one of service above self, of discipline without drama, of truth without theatrics. May the Almighty Allah (SWT), whom he served with devotion and humility, forgive his shortcomings and grant him eternal rest in Aljannah Firdaus. Adieu, Mai Gaskiya as you were fondly referred to. Nigeria salutes you. Signed, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN CON

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