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FIRSTBANK’S SPONSORED ‘’FIRST CLASS MATERIAL’’ CONTINUES TO EMPOWER AND CELEBRATE THE NIGERIAN YOUTH
First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial services provider has again reinforced its commitment to Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship through its sponsorship of the docuseries ‘’First Class Material’’ from the stables of Linda Ikeji TV
Arguably Nigeria’s most valuable bank brand, FirstBank continues to pride itself as indeed the Bank of many firsts. First Class Material is a docuseries designed to celebrate Nigerians who are excelling in various fields of endeavour whether academic or non-academic. It is a programme that aims to chronicle the success stories of Nigerians who are distinct and exemplary in their achievements and importantly, a testament to the greatness of the West African country. This docuseries aims to make education, vocational training and skill acquisition trendy, attractive and fashionable to the nation’s human capital by celebrating and rewarding innovators and trailblazers in various sectors. First Class Material is a celebration of notable Firsts by Nigerians which underscores what FirstBank stands for. The essence of the programme is to have many more people informed and encouraged by the successes, thereby having these feats emulated in their chosen endeavours.
First Class Material aims to change the narrative about Nigeria and Nigerians by highlighting the great work Nigerians are doing in different fields, including Academics, Technology, Arts, Music, entrepreneurship, and many more. It also aims to inspire others to aspire to excellence and to see hard work, legitimate work, and diligence as something rewarding and deserving of emulation. FirstBank was the official sponsor of the maiden edition of First Class Material by Linda Ikeji TV and based on its success, the Bank is now also sponsoring Season 2 which will commence 3rd week in August.
This innovative partnership would have viewers exposed to Nigerians across the globe that have carved a niche for themselves by being exemplary and influential in their chosen endeavours and career path. Success stories of notable firsts and trailblazers would be highlighted, with viewers encouraged to go beyond limits and leave no stone unturned at making their dreams a reality. Like the first season, which showcased exceptional individuals, the forthcoming season promises to share truly inspiring stories of great feats and accomplishments by some of the most unassuming Nigerians, in the country and dotted around the world. FirstBank’s goal is to inspire the youth and encourage them to make informed choices, critical to securing their future whilst impacting mankind and society at large.
FirstBank, historically, has had diverse interventions in promoting thought leadership and promoting initiatives that will stimulate the advancement of skill acquisition and capacity building for the Nigerian Youth to equip them for a bright future. The Bank’s sponsorship of the Programme is in tandem with the noble objectives of the bank which includes building and instilling values into its customers. FirstBank’s core values of people, passion and partnership very much align with the vision of the First Material towards building the youth to become tomorrow’s leaders. With over 127 years of continuous banking operations, First Bank of Nigeria Limited (FirstBank) is giving a good account of itself in this regard not only as a true financial powerhouse but also as a life enabler, helping Nigerians live better and achieve their dreams.
Apart from the First Class Material initiative and in the furtherance of the Bank’s long term commitment to promote youth development, professional excellence and education, FirstBank has also in the past and currently actively supporting various activities and initiatives in the youth segment. The bank partners with Eventful Nigeria Ltd for Fashion Souk, a platform that creates an opportunity for players in the fashion industry to exhibit and sell their wares to the thousands of event participants. The bank, also in a bid to ensure the sustainability of the industry, recently introduced fashion design loans specifically designed to offer financial support to the participants in the textile industry.
Through its First@arts initiative, FirstBank consolidates all its efforts in the arts, supporting the entire value chain of the creative arts, providing much-needed financing and advisory support, showcasing and facilitating the successes of the industry, and enabling customers to explore and access the wealth of opportunities the creative industry has to offer.
Achieving these and a host of many others have been implemented through strategic partnerships with organisations like the British Council, Duke of Shomolu Productions, Live Theatre Lagos, Freedom Park, Terra Kulture, and the Cross Rivers State Government (Calabar Festival), among others.
With the sponsorship of similar socio-cultural initiatives in the creative arts industry like Moremi, Makaliki, Oba Esugbayi stage drama, October 1st (a movie), the Calabar Festival and the recently concluded, The Voice Nigeria (Season 3) the Bank remains exemplary to expose the youth to a wide range of opportunities that are integral to the realisation of their dreams, as they contribute to the continued socio-economic development of their immediate environment and the country at large.
Indeed, FirstBank remains a noble brand close to the heart of the youths and the deliberate efforts made by the bank has indeed been a catalyst of socio-economic growth of Nigerian youths and the nation as a whole.
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GTCO Plc Releases 2025 Full Year Audited Result …Declares Another Record Dividend of 12.76k;
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Re-affirming Unrivalled Capacity to Creating Value₦ Lagos, London – 31st March 2026Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (“GTCO” or the “Group”) has released its Audited Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2025, to the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) and London Stock Exchange (LSE).The Group reported profit before tax of 1.23trillion underpinned by strong growth in core earnings, with interest₦ income and fee income increasing y-o-y by 23.2% and 25.9%, respectively. The performance reaffirms its capacity to generate sustainable earnings and builds on the momentum from 2024, when GTCO delivered a record profit of 1.27trillion, driven in part by 517.5billion in fair value gains, which did not recur in 2025.₦ ₦The Group’s 2025 profit after tax came in at 865.75billion against 1.02trillion recorded in 2024. The profit after tax₦ ₦ reflects the impact of recent fiscal policy adjustments to the taxation of investment securities, notably withholding tax on short-term instruments. However, when normalised for this effect, underlying earnings remain robust, driven by growth in core operating income. The Group continues to maintain a well-structured, healthy, and diversified balance sheet in all the jurisdictions wherein it operates a Banking franchise, as well as across its Payments, Pension and Funds Management business verticals. Total assets and shareholders’ funds closed at 1₦ 7.8trillion and 3.₦ 4trillion, respectively. Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) remained very robust and strong, closing at 43.8%, likewise asset quality improved as evidenced by IFRS 9 Stage 3 Loans which closed at 3.4% and 5.0% at Bank and Group level in FY-2025 (Bank, 3.5%, and Group, 5.2% in December 2024). Cost of Risk (COR) also improved to 2.2% from 4.9% in December 2024. In specific terms, the Group’s loan book (net) grew by 12.4% from 2.79trillion as of December 2024 to₦ 3.13trillion in December 2025. Similarly, deposit liabilities grew by 23.8% from 10.40trillion to 12.87trillion during₦ ₦ ₦ the same period.Commenting on the results, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje, said: “Our 2025 result underscores the resilience and depth of our earnings capacity. Following a record 2024, which included significant fair value gains, our focus has been on strengthening the sustainability of our earnings by driving growth across our core banking and ecosystem businesses. The strength of our underlying earnings, despite a stronger Naira and tighter regulatory parameters, reflects the quality of our franchise and the discipline with which we execute our strategy. Importantly, this strong core earnings performance underpins our capacity to sustain and grow shareholder returns. Our record dividend payout this year is not only a reflection of our current profitability but also of our confidence in the Group’s long-term earnings potential. Looking ahead, we remain focused on scaling our ecosystem, driving innovation across our financial services platform, and delivering consistent, high-quality earnings that support superior value creation for our shareholders.”Overall, the Group continues to post one of the best metrics in the Nigerian Financial Services Industry in terms of key financial ratios i.e., Post-Tax Return on Equity (ROAE) of 28.3%, Post-Tax Return on Assets (ROAA) of 5.3%, Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 43.8% and Cost to Income Ratio of 27.9%.Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc is a leading financial services group with operations across Africa and the United Kingdom. Renowned for its strong corporate governance, innovative financial solutions, and customer-centric approach, the Group provides a wide range of banking and non-banking services including payments, funds management, and pension fund administration. GTCO Plc is committed to delivering long-term value to stakeholders while driving growth and development across its markets.
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Zenith Bank and Ford Foundation Honour Unsung ‘Sheroes’ with Inaugural Woman of Power Award
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On Saturday, March 28 2026, Zenith Bank held the climax of its month-long activities to commemorate March as women’s month. The event which held at The Civic Centre, was the second of such activity at the Centre, having held the International Women Day Seminar on the 9th of March, 2026. The event was to honour and give awards to exceptional women who have shown resilience in their communities with heir vocation impacting lives sustainably.Speakers after speakers eulogized Zenith Bank for its people-centred activities and appreciated the Ford Foundation for identifying the Bank as a worthy partner in its push to support women in their peculiar cultural and economic conditions across the world.Themed “Celebrating Resilience, Leadership, and Generosity” the award recognised 19 women who were selected from the six geo-political zones in trade, petty manufacturing, education, and agriculture. These women demonstrated extraordinary strength, leadership, and impact despite the significant challenges posed by the difficult economic situation in the country.According to the organisers, the initiative provided a platform to showcase unsung “Sheroes” — everyday women who are making meaningful contributions in their communities and fields. These include market women, small-scale business owners, community leaders, educators, healthcare workers, and many others whose vital roles often go unnoticed.The sponsors of the event noted that each awardee exhibited excellence in several key areas, including leadership and initiative, community impact, innovativeness and resourcefulness, perseverance, integrity, community trust, and philanthropy.Among those honoured were: Mrs Regina Amankulor, a retired nurse empowering young people in Umuode-Nsulu community, Isiala Ngwa North LGA, Abia State; Mary Matanmi, Coordinator of the Nigeria Association of Hairdressers, Barbers and Cosmetologists, Lagos State chapter; Ifeanyi P. Ugwueze, a Guidance Counsellor and Life Coach who continues to thrive despite blindness and is currently pursuing a doctorate degree.
Others include: Amina Musa, a trade educator based in Karonmajiji, AMAC, Abuja; Adenike A. Lambo, the Iyaloja of Ilorin; Sadiya Abubakar, an educator in Jibi (Deidei), Bwari Area Council, FCT; Erikan Idem Andrew, a market woman with significant community impact in Port Harcourt; Ngozi B. Nwankpa, an Aba-based fashion designer; Hadiza Umar, a Development Specialist based in Kaduna, Kaduna State; Joy C. Ezenwa (aka Mama Amala), a trader at Sabon Gari Market, Kano; Shola Esther Babalola (Mama Sho), promoter of natural honey and founder of the Mama Sho Honey brand in Lagos; Josephine Ugwu, a staff member of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), honoured for her honesty in recovering and returning millions of naira mistakenly dropped by passengers at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. And many others.In her keynote address, the Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, who was represented by Executive Director, Adobi Nwapa, praised the awardees and reaffirmed the bank’s strong commitment to women’s empowerment. She noted that “Zenith Bank’s commitment to gender inclusion is not a rhetoric but one of the ethos that the bank holds very dearly”. In her words, she also said, “Zenith Bank has a 50-50 gender ratio with women occupying strategic positions in the bank’s management and Board up to the current Group Managing Director being the very first female to hold that position.The Regional Director of the Ford Foundation, Dr Chichi Aniagolu, described the Woman of Power Award as an eye-opener, noting that her team’s journey across the country revealed the vast and often overlooked facets of human potential among Nigerian women.Both the Ford Foundation and Zenith Bank Plc have pledged to sustain and grow the initiative in the coming years.Zenith Bank used the forum to notify the women of their various women-targeted products and initiatives, including the Z-Woman initiative, and the Bank’s 19-year sole sponsorship of the NBBF Women’s Basketball League; thus, further highlighting its position at the forefront of women empowerment and economic inclusion across the country.
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ZENITH BANK APPOINTS KENNEDY OKWUDILI AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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Zenith Bank Plc has announced the appointment of Mr. Kennedy Onuwa Okwudili as an Executive Director of the bank effective May 1, 2026. The appointment, which is consistent with the bank’s tradition and succession strategy of grooming leaders from within, will further strengthen the bank’s Executive Management.Mr. Okwudili graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Accounting in 1998 from the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, with a Second Class Upper division. He obtained a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria in 2008 and a Masters of Science in Accounting from Veritas University, Abuja, Nigeria in 2021.Mr. Okwudili has over twenty-five years of cognate banking experience spanning credit and marketing, treasury, compliance as well as operations and had at different times worked in various zones and departments of the bank. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), 2013, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), 2024 and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), 2016. He has attended several Executive Education Programmes both within and outside the country, including: Senior Leadership Development Programme at the Lagos Business School, Corporate Directorship Programme at the Harvard Business School and Oxford Advanced Management and Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford, SAID Business School.He is currently the President of Catholic Bankers Association of Nigeria (CBAN) and a member of the Noble Order of the Knights of St. John International (KSJI).
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