The bank was founded in 1894 and is Nigeria's oldest bank. It converted to a public company in 1970 and was listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in 1971.
130 years of Leading Banking Services
First Bank of Nigeria Limited (FirstBank) is the premier bank in West Africa with its impact woven into the fabric of society. The Bank has been sustaining its development-oriented services for 130 years as the region’s foremost financial inclusion services provider. FirstBank offers a comprehensive range of retail and corporate financial services through more than 800 business outlets and over 232,000 Agent Banking locations to over 42 million customer accounts (including digital wallets).
As a national icon and an international player, FirstBank is one of the most enduring financial services brands in Africa with international footprints extending through its subsidiaries, FirstBank (UK) Limited in London and Paris; FirstBank in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra-Leone and The Gambia; FBN Bank in Senegal; as well as a FirstBank Representative Office in Beijing. FirstBank has been nimble at promoting a digital economy in Africa and has issued about 13 million cards, the first bank to achieve such milestone in Nigeria.
FirstBank’s financial inclusion and cashless transaction drive have resulted in over 15 million users on its USSD banking service through the nationally acclaimed *894# banking service and over 6 million users on its FirstMobile App, which was awarded the African Innovative Banking Product of the Year 2021 by African Leadership Magazine Awards.
Since its establishment in 1894, FirstBank has consistently built relationships with customers, focusing on the fundamentals of good corporate governance, strong liquidity, optimised risk management and leadership. Over the years, the Bank has led the financing of private investment in infrastructure development in the Nigerian economy by playing key roles in the Federal Government’s privatisation and commercialisation schemes. With its global reach, FirstBank, one of Africa’s most sustainable financial services brands, provides prospective investors wishing to explore the vast business opportunities that are available in Africa, an internationally competitive world-class brand and a credible financial partner.
