Today, Okay.ng felicitates with this monumental financial institution as she commemorates her 128-year anniversary.
First Bank of Nigeria Limited was founded by Sir Alfred Lewis Jones, a Welsh businessman in 1894. As its name implies, it is the first established bank in Nigeria.
It officially commenced business under the name, Bank of British West Africa (BBWA). Since 1912, the Bank has changed its name six times and has been known as First Bank of Nigeria Limited since 2012.
With over 30 million customers, the premier bank is now one of the largest Nigerian banks in terms of customer base
In the fall of 2021, FirstBank was listed on the Nigerian Stock Market as one of the most valuable banks in Nigeria with N409.2 billion. It had 1.3 million shareholders globally.
FirstBank has subsidiaries in the Republic of Congo, Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Senegal.
Through her subsidiary operations, FirstBank is present in Paris, and in Beijing, where it has Representative Offices. The bank has also been operating a branch in London, the United Kingdom since 1982.
FirstBank has continued to achieve ground-breaking feats in the financial sector since its inception.
Since it was officially listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in March 1971, FirstBank has won the Annual President’s Merit Award for the best financial report in the banking industry a record-breaking thirteen times.
The reputation of the company was further subsisted in 2011 when it was awarded the “Best Financial Reporting Company” by Africa Investor, a top-notch multimedia investment news and information publishing company.
FirstBank has also been awarded the “Most Innovative Bank in Africa” and has been the back-to-back winner of the “Best Bank in Nigeria” for twelve (12) years.
Its other feats include “Best Trade Finance Bank in Nigeria”, “Best Foreign Exchange Bank in Nigeria”, the later which it held for seven (7) consecutive years.
FirstBank has been the back-to-back winner of the “Best Bank in Nigeria” awarded by the EMEA Finance magazine for four (4) consecutive years.
The institution also prides itself as the winner of the “Best Banking Group in Nigeria”, awarded by the World Finance Banking Awards, the “Best Investment Bank” the “Best Private Bank” awarded by the same institution.
The bank bagged the “ICT Telecoms Deal of the Year Award” and “The Bank of the Year in Nigeria” in The Banker Awards 2012.
Indeed FirstBank is not just first by inception, but first in ground-breaking achievements too.
Okay.ng celebrates you and your giant strides!
