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FirstBank’s Firstmonie Agents Hits 100,000 – Impacting Hundreds of Thousands of Lives and Communities Across Nigeria
If you live in Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt, or you reside in any of the other state capitals, you probably take for granted that you actually live in the better of the two worlds that make up Nigeria when it comes to banking. Take Lagos, for example, you would find a bank in almost any corner you turn. You have many streets in business or commercial areas in the city that are lined up by nothing but banks in all their glory and magnificence. If a count is taken, it could be established that there are probably more bank branches in Lagos than any other branded business outlets or branded activity centres – if street stores and religious centres are excluded.
Many people in city centres somehow assume that this situation of banks being in your face in cities is the same reality that prevails in most parts of the country. They have no idea that there are parts of Nigeria, especially the hinterland, where people take the absence of banks for granted the same way city dwellers take the preponderance of bank branches for granted. To get to the nearest bank, people in the hinterland who live this reality every day would have to travel many kilometres to get to their state capitals or some other large towns. These are the people living in the worse of the two worlds you find in Nigeria as far as having bank presence is concerned.
Imagine if the situation were reversed and city dwellers had to travel many kilometres to get to the nearest bank branch where they could do their transactions. It is not unlikely that such a situation would be accompanied by a ballooning of the stress levels in city dwellers, increased road rage on city highways and heightened frustration generally. How would people who spend multiple hours in traffic on a daily basis, work longer than counterparts elsewhere for far less remuneration, enjoy less sleep on their beds and less time with family and loved ones, cope with the additional burden of walking or driving endlessly in search of a bank to do their transactions? How? Just how?
So city dwellers should indeed be thankful for their world. And while at it, they as well as people in the hinterland, who live in the other world, should not be shy to extend appreciation to those working so hard and tirelessly to bridge the gap between the two worlds in Nigeria. The Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) financial inclusion initiative geared towards bringing the unbanked and underbanked as well as communities in Nigeria’s hinterland into the formal financial ecosystem has been key to efforts to bridge the gap. The CBN’s mandate to ensure the availability of affordable financial products and services to all individuals and groups of people in Nigeria, regardless of location, literacy level, familiarity with technology or accessibility to modern infrastructural facilities, has been wholly embraced, supported and promoted by FirstBank.
FirstBank’s unmatched commitment to financial inclusion is informed by the bank’s undivided focus on making real impact across Nigeria. Hear Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, the Chief Executive Officer of the premier bank in West Africa and the leading financial inclusion services provider in Nigeria for over 127 years: “The key strength of our franchise is our ability to look at gaps in the society and develop products and services that [address those gaps].” Continuing, he notes that as an integral part of the bank’s strategy, “We believe that by significantly working with the Central Bank to improve the financial inclusion index of the country, we would, as FirstBank, be assisting [the] country to address poverty, to address hunger, thereby also promoting security of life and property because when people are gainfully employed, the implication is that they think less of crime.”
It is therefore not surprising that FirstBank has driven the financial inclusion initiative much more vigorously than any other bank in Nigeria, with its Firstmonie Agent channel, which crossed the 100,000 Agents mark a few days ago, being among the bank’s many initiatives to expand financial access in the country. The 100,000 Agents feat in itself speaks volumes about the bank’s strides in the financial inclusion space. No other bank comes anywhere close to FirstBank in terms of number and spread of agents in their agent banking networks. FirstBank’s Firstmonie Agents and the thousands of staff they employ are in all the 774 local government areas in Nigeria save two and, in 2020 alone, processed over 295 million transactions with a total value of N6.65 trillion and opened more than 196,000 accounts. However, for FirstBank, it is not about number or competition with others or even being the largest bank-led network in Africa, but the impact the Firstmonie Agents channel it is creating, as Dr Adeduntan highlighted above. His deputy, Francis Shobo agrees, saying FirstBank is looking beyond numbers and considering impact. He makes a bold declaration, “We are trying to make those Agents the centre of the financial ecosystem in the country.” This probably explains why Firstmonie Agents are considered by the bank as community heroes that it is planting all over the nation. And this is the sense one gets in interviews with Agents and customers across the country.
Aiyetoro is a riverine community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. It has no banks, according to Stephen Adeleye, a Firstmonie Agent serving Aiyetoro community. He recounts how Firstmonie has impacted his community. Adeleye says Firstmonie has provided easy access to banking ensuring that “people in the community now have this kind of savings habit” – a reference to the growing savings culture in Aiyetoro. One of his customers, Tina Farodoye, who operates a grocery store in the community says Firstmonie has helped her business to grow. She can now buy her stock in bulk all the way from Lagos where they are relatively inexpensive (even with transport costs added) compared to her community, all because she is able to transfer funds through Agent Stephen to the wholesalers in Lagos. This has improved her business profitability by increasing the profit margin in her business.
Ephraim Osinachi, is a Firstmonie Agent in Obehie, Asa Ukwa West, Abia State. He serves customers across all ages, including the very aged, as all customers are assisted with their transactions, unlike the use of ATM where the customer is practically on their own. He says market traders take advantage of his presence in the community to make lodgements at the end of the day’s trade. He and his staff wait until traders are done at the market (unlike your regular banks which shut their doors to customers at four o’clock, generally). The advantage this offers the people is invaluable. He cites a case where a customer’s house was raided by robbers in their absence and all the robbers could find after ransacking the entire house was fifty naira cash and old phones valued at N3,000. His services are enabling his community to avoid keeping bulk cash at home and the consequent risk of being robbed and traumatised by men of the underworld.
Orode Hesse, Firstmonie Agent in Ubeji, Warri South, Delta State is both emphatic and ecstatic about impact Firstmonie has had on her life. She enthuses that it has really impacted and empowered her financially and enabled her to empower others, especially other women. She has six employees, five of whom are female. So she sees Firstmonie as a business or platform to employ and empower women. Interestingly, Orode is part of the 26 per cent of Firstmonie Agents that are women, a fact that points to the important role Firstmonie is playing in driving women economic empowerment.
Abubakar Aki Bolaji, is a Firstmonie Agent along Karishi Road, Orozo in FCT, Abuja. He points out that the nearest bank to his community is 15km away. He is pleased that his presence as an Agent in the community has cut out the costs of transportation his people would have continued to incur in order to access banking services. His sentiment and delight are shared by the teeming customers he serves. This situation is very common in the North given its landmass and the dispersed nature of human settlements. Dr Adeduntan relates how a senior government official in Jigawa State highlighted how important the presence of Firstmonie Agents was when he informed him that all across a 70km stretch from Gumel, where there was the branch of a bank, there were no banks anywhere in sight. All he saw were at least two Firstmonie Agents in that long stretch of 70km, no banks. Without those two Agents, all the people in the settlements along that 70km stretch would be without access to banking services.
Another Firstmonie Agent, Mohammed Tatari, serving Tudun Wada in Bununu, Bauchi State, says his services are helping to drive commerce in his community as traders are now able to transfer funds to the wholesalers elsewhere from whom they buy. His services are helping traders to avoid carrying large cash with them given the dire security situation. He noted that the people used to travel elsewhere just to access banking service. His presence has changed all that now. He concludes that Firstmonie is changing his community (for good). One woman who would agree with him is Halima, a housewife and petty trader in the outskirts of Abuja. She discovered Firstmonie through her co-tenant, during the recent lockdown due to COVID-19, and was excited that she could access funds at the Firstmonie Agent outlet close to her and send money to her mother in far away, Maiduguri in Borno State. She had been unable to move to Garki where her bank branch was because of the lockdown.
Besides ensuring that individuals in the suburbs do not have to travel for long hours to the city for their banking activities, Firstmonie Agents are also bridging the gap between the tech-savvy and the low-literacy clients as the Agent network represents the convenient and comfortable alternative for customers that are unacquainted with sophisticated digital channels. And as Firstmonie Agents give their best, FirstBank, on its part, has been doing everything to encourage the Agents. In its inaugural Firstmonie Agent Banking Awards, FirstBank rewarded 37 leading Agents that have promoted financial inclusion in the country. Thirty-one (31) Agents each won the sum of N250,000 at the state level while five Agents won the sum of N1,000,000 at the regional level. At the national level, the grand prize of N2,500,000 was won by Zayyanu Hassan Ishaq, an Agent from Abuja (North Central), who described it as a miracle and noted that it would spur him to work harder.
As further encouragement and to promote the business activities of Firstmonie Agents, the bank announced the provision of loan facilities of up to N1,000,000 to the Agents. This new credit scheme, which they can access 24 hours a day, can be processed in less than two minutes. The scheme means more empowerment and business expansion for Firstmonie Agents. And the expansion can go beyond Nigeria as Dr Adeduntan says FirstBank is looking beyond Nigeria to other African countries where FirstBank operates, like Ghana and DRC – a country with over 80 million people – to promote financial inclusion and begin to address poverty on the African continent through the Firstmonie plat.
The Alternative Bank Limited (Alt Bank) has announced the appointment of Gul Khan as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer following approval by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He succeeds Hassan Yusuf, the Bank’s founding Managing Director.
Khan brings more than 25 years of international financial services experience, having worked in Europe, America, Asia, Middle East & Africa. Most recently he served as Chief Executive Officer and Board Director of I&M Bank Kenya and was Group Head of Products for Airtel Money, the fintech business across 14 markets in Africa. He alsopreviously served as Global Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management at HSBC Amanah, the Group’s non-interest banking business. His career also includes executive leadership roles with banks in UAE, Egypt and Qatar giving him experience across established banking institutions and technology-led financial services businesses.
Commenting on the appointment, Muhtar Bakare, Chairman of Alternative Bank, said “Gul’s expertise in non-interest banking and his leadership experience across African financial services position him well to lead Alternative Bank through its next phase of growth. The Board is confident in his ability to build on the Bank’s foundations and broaden its reach, while maintaining the strong governance and commercial discipline essential to long-term success.”
Khan will work with the Board and management team to guide the Bank’s next phase of growth. Outlining his priorities, he said:
“The opportunity is to make Alt Bank the preferred choice for consumers and businesses in Nigeria. That means understanding what customers need, whether acquiring productive assets or growing their businesses, and providing solutions that are relevant and they can use with ease. I look forward to working with colleagues to build on Alt Bank’s progress and earn our customers’ continued trust.”
Alt Bank met the CBN’s revised minimum capital requirement for national non-interest banks well ahead of the regulatory deadline. The Bank has also completed its migration to MIZAN, a core banking platform designed for non-interest financial institutions. Its strengthened capital base and investment in technology support its capacity to finance business growth and develop products that meet the needs of its customers.
The Alternative Bank is part of Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc, a diversified Nigerian financial services group. Backed by the Group’s institutional strength, governance framework and commitment to innovation, the Bank continues to advance its mission of expanding access to non-interest financial solutions for individuals and businesses across Nigeria.
Guaranty Trust Bank Limited (“GTBank”), the banking subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (“GTCO” or “the Group”), today announced the launch of the 737 App designed around the evolving financial needs, digital habits and everyday experiences of young Nigerians. The launch further reaffirms GTBank’s longstanding commitment to building financial solutions that empowers the younger generation.
For GTBank, engaging the younger generation goes beyond providing access to banking services. It is about understanding how young people live, work, connect, spend and plan for the future, and developing solutions that fit these realities. This commitment has shaped the bank’s product innovation over the years, from GTCrea8, which offers young people free banking services, to a growing suite of digital solutions that make managing money easier, faster and more accessible.
The 737 App represents another deliberate step in this journey. Recognising that young people are increasingly mobile-driven, digitally connected and accustomed to managing different aspects of their lives from their phones, GTBank has developed an application that fits into the lifestyle of the young average Nigerian, experiencing life more and banking less. I
The 737 App uses customers’ phone numbers as their account numbers, making account details easier to remember and share. It also offers free virtual Naira Mastercard for online payments on international platforms such as Amazon, Netflix, Spotify and AliExpress. Its Scan to Pay feature enables faster transfers by eliminating manual account entry, while savings tools support future goals. Customers can also access instant loans and conveniently pay for airtime, data and utility bills.
Commenting on the launch, the Managing Director of GTBank, Mrs Miriam Olusanya, said: “We recognise that younger generations have an evolving relationship with money and financial services. They are technology-driven, digitally connected and increasingly intentional about how they spend, save and pursue their ambitions. Our responsibility is to understand these changing behaviours and translate them into financial solutions that fit seamlessly into their lifestyles. The 737 App reflects this commitment, bringing together the convenience, speed and accessibility they expect, while providing the tools to support their financial aspirations and plan for the future.”
She added: “This reflects the Group’s broader commitment to continuously innovate around the needs of the younger generation. Over the years, we have remained deliberate about creating products and opportunities that make financial services more accessible, relevant and rewarding for young people, empowering them to pursue their ambitions and make the most of life.”
The 737 App is available for download on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, with a seamless digital onboarding process for both new and existing customers.
Zenith Bank Plc has awarded ₦190 million to 13 winners across three innovation competitions at the sixth edition of its flagship technology event, Zenith Tech Fair 2026: Future Forward 6.0, reinforcing its commitment to nurturing innovation, accelerating digital advancement and empowering the next generation of African technology leaders.
Held virtually for the first time on Thursday, November 5, 2026, under the theme, “AI: Embrace or Extinct,” the event brought together technology leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, policymakers and participants from across the world to explore the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its implications for businesses, economies and society. The ₦190 million prize pool is the largest in the history of the Tech Fair, further demonstrating the Bank’s growing investment in technology and innovation.
The 2026 edition featured three competitions: the Hackathon, Startup Pitch Competition and the newly introduced Future Innovators Challenge. Together, they attracted over 3,000 submissions from developers, entrepreneurs and secondary school students seeking to showcase innovative solutions and secure funding to advance their ideas.
In the Hackathon category, Team Solo emerged overall winner, receiving ₦35 million, while 10x Brains secured second place with ₦20 million. Rumour Hunters came third with ₦15 million, while Òmìnira and Team Avera emerged fourth and fifth, receiving ₦10 million each.
In the Startup Pitch Competition, Cutstruct Technology Limited clinched first place with ₦35 million, followed by Sproutly, which received ₦20 million. PharmaRun secured third place with ₦15 million, while AUI BRAND and ProDevs completed the top five, receiving ₦10 million each.
The Future Innovators Challenge, introduced to encourage technology-driven creativity and problem-solving among secondary school students, produced three winners. Caleb British International School emerged first, receiving ₦5 million, while Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha, came second with ₦3 million. Regina Pacis International School secured third place with ₦2 million.
Among the winning solutions, Cutstruct Technology Limited’s LiveVend platform is transforming construction procurement by connecting developers and contractors with suppliers. Sproutly uses financial technology to simplify school payments, while PharmaRun makes access to authentic medications more convenient through its network of pharmacies. Caleb British International School’s ReLearn platform, which won the Future Innovators Challenge, redistributes used textbooks to students in underserved communities, making learning materials more affordable and accessible.
Beyond the financial rewards, the winners will benefit from a six-week mentorship and incubation programme, providing expert guidance and practical support to refine their solutions, strengthen their business models and scale their innovations.
In his welcome remarks, the Founder of Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia, CFR, reaffirmed his vision of empowering young people through technology and nurturing innovators capable of making a global impact. He said: “My vision is to continue empowering young people through technology, with the hope that one day we will produce individuals who make an impact on the scale of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos.”
In her opening address, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Plc, Dame Dr Adaora Umeoji, OON, highlighted the urgency of embracing Artificial Intelligence and adapting to the rapidly evolving technology landscape. She noted that the Bank’s commitment to innovation is reflected in its investments in digital infrastructure, products and services, including its Zenith Intelligent Virtual Assistant (ZIVA). She also highlighted the role of the Bank’s fintech subsidiary, FinoPay, in developing the SMART AfCFTA Portal to facilitate intra-African trade.
Speaking on Africa’s role in the global AI revolution, she declared: “The next generation of global AI champions can and should come from Africa.” She further challenged participants to embrace emerging technologies, stating: “Do not fear AI. Embrace it. Whether you are developing a solution for a farm, clinic, classroom or factory, dare to think big, build ethically and create scalable solutions.”
The Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, commended Zenith Bank’s contribution to technological advancement, saying: “Over the years, Zenith Bank has been a strong driver and enabler of innovation, using technology to advance solutions and raise expectations for its employees, stakeholders and the wider business community.”
He also reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s commitment to the technology ecosystem, stating: “We are also committed to supporting and promoting the technology ecosystem, creating opportunities for innovation and ensuring that Lagos remains at the forefront of this important area of development.”
The Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, SAN, represented by the Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Professor Matthew Adepoju, commended the Bank’s investment in technology and youth empowerment. He emphasised the importance of public-private collaboration in translating innovation into economic opportunities, stating: “When government and the private sector work in the same direction, ideas become products, products become businesses, and businesses create jobs for our people.”
The Tech Fair featured a distinguished line-up of technology leaders and industry experts, with Zach Kass, former Head of Go-to-Market at OpenAI, delivering the keynote address. Examining the evolution of AI and the emergence of autonomous agents, Kass challenged participants to consider the place of human judgement and values in an increasingly automated world. He said: “We are approaching a world in which we will have to ask ourselves, regularly and seriously: what do we want to keep human, and what are we willing to automate?”
Other speakers included Mike Ogbalu III, Managing Director/CEO of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS); Deniz Oran, Head of Payment Partnerships at Google for EMEA; Jane Egerton-Idehen, Managing Director/CEO of Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT); Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); and Chinwe Uzoho, Regional Managing Director, West Africa, Network International. Sessions were moderated by Victoria Rubadiri, CNN Correspondent, alongside other industry experts.
Conceived by the Bank’s Founder, Jim Ovia, CFR, the Zenith Tech Fair reflects his vision of empowering young Nigerians through technology and nurturing innovators capable of developing solutions with global relevance. Over the years, it has evolved into a platform connecting ideas, talent, investment and opportunities, while giving emerging technology businesses the resources and exposure to grow.
Previous winners have gone on to develop solutions with practical applications across different sectors. They include JumpnPass, which developed a self-checkout solution for retail; CreditChek, which uses AI and open banking to streamline credit verification; TrustLoop, winner of the 2025 Hackathon with its digital identity verification solution; and Cubbes Technologies Limited, winner of the 2025 Startup Pitch Competition with its AI-powered educational technology platform.
With the introduction of the Future Innovators Challenge, Zenith Bank is extending this support to secondary school students, recognising the importance of identifying and nurturing technology talent early. Through the Tech Fair and its broader technology-driven initiatives, the Bank continues to invest in the people, ideas and businesses shaping Africa’s digital economy, providing innovators with the funding, mentorship and opportunities to turn promising ideas into impactful solutions.
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