FirstBank, the West Africa premier bank and financial inclusion services provider, is thrilled to announce that its Corporate University, FirstAcademy, has been awarded the Gold Award for Best Corporate University in Social & Climate Change at the Global Council of Corporate Universities (GlobalCCU) Awards 2025.

This highly acclaimed award recognises FirstAcademy’s outstanding commitment to driving social and climate change learning initiatives, aligning its learning and development programs with internal stakeholder needs, and promoting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The GlobalCCU Awards is a prestigious, biannual recognition of excellence in corporate universities, setting the highest standard for the industry. With a rich 12-year history dating back to its inaugural ceremony in Paris in 2013, the awards have consistently honoured outstanding Corporate Universities, learning and development structures worldwide. The GlobalCCU Awards celebrate institutions that create remarkable value for people, businesses, society and the planet.

FirstBank’s FirstAcademy exemplifies this mission by earning the Gold Award for Best Corporate University in Social & Climate Change at the 2025 ceremony in Paris, France. This distinction reflects FirstAcademy’s dedication to fostering sustainability and environmental responsibility; developing impactful learning initiatives that transcends traditional corporate training, with broader societal goals; integrating climate action into its portfolio and operations;  expanding climate finance offerings and developing a climate action capacity building training program.

FirstAcademy was inaugurated in 2012 as the Bank’s designated corporate academy designed to provide structured talent development, knowledge management and culture change initiatives. One major objective of the academy is to equip staff with the requisite knowledge and skills required to deliver on the Bank’s strategic aspirations and to thrive in an ever-evolving work environment while contributing to social and environmental responsibility.

According to the Founder and Chairman of the GlobalCCU Awards, Annick Renaud-Coulon, “FirstAcademy is an outstanding Corporate University that is clearly the Best Corporate University globally for driving social and climate change learning initiatives.”

Congratulating FirstAcademy, the Founder and Chairman of the GlobalCCU Awards, Annick Renaud-Coulon, said “FirstAcademy is a very mature Corporate University which demonstrates a strong alignment with FirstBank’s vision of responsible banking and sustainable development, with clear support from senior leadership and a governance model that strategically connects learning to business priorities. Congratulations to FirstAcademy for setting a visionary standard in advancing meaningful social and climate change impact through learning and inclusive capacity building!”

In the words of Olayinka Ijabiyi, the Acting Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, FirstBank “We are delighted to receive this international recognition for our efforts in promoting social responsibility and climate action. This award serves as a testament to our belief that businesses can be a force for good, driving transformation that extends beyond profit to create sustainable and equitable futures for all.  FirstAcademy’s programs have not only enhanced employee skills but also contributed to the well-being of society and the environment.”

As FirstBank’s FirstAcademy continues to bridge the gap between corporate initiatives and community needs, it sets a leading example for corporate universities around the globe, inspiring others to follow suit in the quest for meaningful change.

Access Holdings PLC has been ranked the Tier 1 bank

withthebestassetqualityinNigeria,havingpostedthelowestNon-PerformingLoan

Ratio(NPLR)at2.76percent,accordingtoProshare’s2025Tier1BankingReport

released, recently. This marks a significant achievement for Access Holdings, reinforcing

its leadership in credit discipline, risk management, and sustainable lending practices.

The report, titled “The Class of 2025: Getting Bigger, Bolder, and Dominant”, ranks

AccessHoldingssecondoverallintheTier1category,placingjustbehindEcobank

TransnationalIncorporated(ETI),whichledwithapercentilescoreof100.Access

Holdingsfollowedcloselywitha91stpercentileranking,aheadofZenithBankat73

percent, FirstHoldco at 82 percent, UBA at 64 percent, and GTCO at 55 percent.

In terms of NPLR performance, Access Holdings maintained a remarkable 2.76 percent,

outperforming Zenith Bank at 3.54 percent, GTCO at 4.07 percent, UBA at 3.80 percent,

ETI at 6.25 percent, and FirstHoldco at 6.70 percent. This places Access Holdings at the

forefrontofassetqualitymanagementamongNigeria’stopbanksandreaffirmsits

reputation for operational discipline amid market volatility.

Commenting on the achievement, Bolaji Agbede, Acting Group Chief Executive Officer of

Access Holdings PLC, said: “This ranking is not just a measure of our financial health; it

reflects the strength of our governance, thequality of our decision-making, and the focus

we place on long-term value creation. It is a testament to the discipline of our people and

the effectiveness of our pan-African strategy.”

She added: “At Access Holdings, we believe that sustainable success lies in balancing

growthwith resilience.Wewill continuetoexecutewith precision,buildwithpurpose, and

innovate with integrity as we expand our presence across Africa and beyond.”

The 2025 edition of the Proshare Bank Strength Index (PBSI) introduces a recalibrated

framework that reflects the realities of the ongoing recapitalisation exercise in Nigeria’s

bankingsector. Thisedition goesbeyond traditionalfinancialmetrics andincorporates

broaderdeterminantsofprofitability,stability,andstakeholdervalue.ThePBSImodel

emphasisescapitaladequacyandscale,assetqualityandsustainablegrowth,digital

transformation andearnings diversification,governance qualityand boarddiversity, as

well as profitability and cost-efficiency.

• www.accessbankplc.com

  AccessHoldingsdemonstratedstrongfundamentalsacrossalltheseparameters.It

  closed Full Year 2024 with total assets of 41.5 trillion and a loan book of 13.1 trillion.₦ ₦

  The Group’scapitaladequacyratiostoodat20.46percent,whileassetgrowthforthe

  periodreached55.49percent.Itscostofriskwasheldat1.25percent,netinterest

  margin recorded at 6.80 percent, and earnings growth was an impressive 88.05 percent,

  all indicators of a business built on financial soundness and execution excellence.

  Speaking at the launch event, Olufemi Awoyemi, Chairman of Proshare, described the

  report as a vital mirror into the shifting dynamics of Nigeria’s financial services industry.

  “AccessHoldingshasprovenitselfasastrong,adaptiveinstitution.Itsrobustcapital

  base, successful fundraising, and continental expansion efforts show a group that is not

  onlygrowingbutevolving.Asrecapitalisationreshapesthebankinglandscape,

  institutions like Access Holdings will continue to define the future of finance in Africa.”

  He further remarked on the nuance behind E

Zenith Bank Plc, Nigeria’s biggest bank by Tier-1 Capital, has assured shareholders and investors of its readiness to satisfy all relevant conditions to exit the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) regulatory forbearance by June 30, 2025. The bank also expressed confidence in meeting shareholders’ dividend expectations in the 2025 financial year.The clarification comes on the back of heightened scrutiny of Nigerian banks’ capital health following the new CBN directive that suspends dividend payments and tightens oversight for banks with outstanding forbearance-related loans or breaches of the Single Obligor Limit (SOL).In a statement presented to the Nigeria Exchange (NGX) Group on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, the Bank stated that its exposure under the Single Obligor Limit (SOL) forbearance relates solely to a single obligor, pointing out that this exposure will be brought within the applicable regulatory limit on or before June 30, 2025. The bank also confirmed that the forbearance granted on other credit facilities applies to only two (2) of its customers, noting that it has made substantial provisions in respect of these facilities and taken appropriate and comprehensive steps to ensure full provisioning by June 30, 2025.The bank further emphasized its strong financial footing, stating that it has successfully raised and surpassed the new regulatory capital requirement of N500 Billion, and is therefore well positioned to continue delivering value to all its key stakeholders.Zenith Bank has continued to distinguish itself in the Nigerian financial services industry through superior service offering, unique customer experience and sound financial indices. The bank has remained a clear leader in the digital space with several firsts in the deployment of innovative products, solutions and an assortment of alternative channels that ensure convenience, speed and safety of transactions.The Bank’s track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the brand numerous awards including being recognised as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the fifteenth consecutive year in the 2024 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking, published by The Banker Magazine. The Bank was also awarded Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards for 2020, 2022 and 2024; Best Bank in Nigeria from 2020 to 2022, 2024 and 2025, in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards; Best Bank for Digital Solutions in Nigeria in the Euromoney Awards 2023; and was listed in the World Finance Top 100 Global Companies in 2023.Further recognitions include Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria for four consecutive years from 2021 to 2024 in the World Finance Banking Awards and Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria in the International Banker 2023 and 2024 Banking Awards. Additionally, Zenith Bank has been acknowledged as the Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria, in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards for 2022, 2023 and 2024 and ‘Best in Corporate Governance’ Financial Services’ Africa for four consecutive years from 2020 to 2023 by the Ethical Boardroom. The Bank’s commitment to excellence saw it being named the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands for 2020 and 2021, Bank of the Year 2023 and 2024 at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards, and Retail Bank of the Year for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022 and in 2024 at the BAFI Awards. The Bank also received the accolades of Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria and Best Innovation in Retail Banking, Nigeria, in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards. Zenith Bank was also named Most Responsible Organisation in Africa, Best Company in Transparency and Reporting and Best Company in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment at the SERAS CSR Awards Africa 2024; Bank of the Year 2024 by ThisDay Newspaper; Bank of the Year 2024 by New Telegraph Newspaper; and Best in MSME Trade Finance, 2023 by Nairametrics. The Bank’s Hybrid Offer was also adjudged ‘Rights Issue/ Public Offer of the Year’ at the Nairametrics Capital Market Choice Awards 2025