First Bank CEO, Mr. Bisi Onasanya

Adelere Ajayi

As part of efforts to enhance the quality of its workforce, First Bank of Nigeria Plc has graduated a set of students from its FirstAcademy Foundation School.

Speaking at the event which marked the end of the sixteen weeks intensive programme, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, First Bank, Mr. Bisi Onasanya said the FirstAcademy was specifically established to provide a strategic platform for competence development, knowledge management, culture change, and overall organisational transformation.

According to him, the aim of the commercial bank is to continually invest in its workforce in order to uphold superior performance and sustain shareholders’ value.

Onasanya added: “FirstAcademy is the first corporate academy of its kind in Nigeria and we are affiliated to the Global Association of Corporate Universities and Academies and the World Institute of Action Learning.”

Adesulure Oluwafunmilade won the Overall Best Performing Student Award; Munonye Ignatius, the Best Performing Finance and Accounting Award; Ozodinobi Chinasa and Nwokike Emmanuel, Best Performing Students Basic Credit respectively, Odiaonye Kingsley won the Best Performing Student Basic Economic; amongst others.

Commenting on the event, Head, Human Capital Management and Development of First Bank, Mrs. Ayodele Jaiyesinmi said “with the intense, war for talent within our industry and the bold steps taken by the bank to attract and retain the best talent available in the market, we believe the FirstAcademy provides us with a commanding platform for winning wars. We are therefore proud to say that we have successfully created another elite group of first bankers.”