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Tag: leading financial inclusion service provider

  • FirstBank Partners NTA, others on 2026 Children’s Day Engagements to Inspire Future Leaders

    FirstBank Partners NTA, others on 2026 Children’s Day Engagements to Inspire Future Leaders

     FirstBank, West Africa’s premier financial institution and the leading financial inclusion service provider, is set to commemorate Children’s Day 2026 with a series of sponsored nationwide engagements designed to educate, inspire, and empower children across Nigeria. Through its sponsorship of initiatives organised by the Nigerian Television Authority, Nigeria Future Leaders Festival, Lexicon the Bank reaffirms its commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders and strengthening its role in sustainable community development.

    The celebrations will kick off with the sponsorship of the NTA Abuja Children’s Day in Abuja and the Youth Edutainment Theatre (YET) Festival in Lagos on 25 May, followed by support for the Nigeria Future Leaders Festival on 26 May. On 27 May, FirstBank will support multiple activities including the Lexicon Children’s Day Games, the NTA Channel 10 Lagos and the NTA Yola Children’s Day Party. Each of these programmes is designed to foster creativity, inclusion, and confidence among children from diverse backgrounds, while promoting learning and aspiration.

    Commenting on the Bank’s support for the initiatives, Olayinka Ijabiyi, Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, FirstBank, noted that the engagements align with the Bank’s strategy on youth development and empowerment. “Children are the foundation of a sustainable and prosperous future. Our support for children on their special day is an intentional investment in nurturing creativity, building confidence, and empowering the next generation with opportunities they need to grow and thrive. We are happy to partner with the Nigerian Television Authority, Nigeria Future Leaders Festival and Lexicon on these engagements to create meaningful experiences that inspire tomorrow’s leaders across the country.”

    The sponsorship of the Children’s Day engagements aligns with FirstBank’s broader Sustainability framework, which prioritises education, health and welfare as key pillars of its impact strategy. The commitment is further reinforced through flagship youth-focused products such as KidsFirst, MeFirst, and Xplore First, which promote financial literacy, encourage savings culture, and empower young people at different stages of growth, ensuring that financial inclusion begins early and evolves with their needs. Beyond Children’s Day, FirstBank will also support the ReadBug Literature Festival 2026, which will be held in Abuja in July.

    FirstBank will continue to invest in initiatives that empower children, enrich families, and contribute to national development, ensuring that every engagement creates value-driven experiences and inspires brighter futures.

  • FirstBank Integrates PAPSS into LIT App for Seamless Cross-Border Payments Across Africa

    FirstBank Integrates PAPSS into LIT App for Seamless Cross-Border Payments Across Africa

    FirstBank, the premier bank in West Africa and a leading financial inclusion service provider, is thrilled to announce the successful integration of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) into its flagship digital banking platform, the LIT app, enabling customers to make instant, secure, and local currency-based cross-border payments across Africa.

    PAPSS, developed by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in collaboration with the African Union and the AfCFTA Secretariat, enables instant, low-cost payments in local currencies between African countries.

    Speaking on the integration, the Group Executive, e-Business and Retail Products at FirstBank, Chuma Ezirim, said, “The integration of PAPSS into the LIT app is a testament to FirstBank’s commitment to delivering innovative, customer-centric solutions that simplify and enhance financial transactions. This milestone aligns with the Bank’s strategic goal of deepening digital capabilities and expanding access to seamless cross-border payment services across Africa.”

    Commenting on this collaboration, Mike Ogbalu, CEO of PAPSS said, “Every time an individual, an SME or a Company sends money instantly within Africa in their own currency, we are not just moving funds, we are connecting ambitions, supporting livelihoods, and bridging dreams across borders. This collaboration with FirstBank and their LIT app brings us a step closer to making African borders invisible to movement of money, so that the continent’s entrepreneurs and families can focus on what matters most: building their future, not battling payment barriers.”

    The LIT App, FirstBank’s innovative digital banking platform, offers a wide range of features including virtual cards, scheduled payments, and multiple transfers in one go, designed to meet the dynamic needs of customers. The addition of PAPSS expands its capabilities to support cross-border commerce, especially for individuals and SMEs engaged in pan-African business.

    With PAPSS now live on the LIT App, FirstBank is breaking down barriers to payments, trade and financial inclusion across Africa. Customers can now send funds conveniently to other countries in Naira, without needing US dollar, GBP or Euro conversions. This landmark integration enables real-time cross-border payments in local African currencies, reduces transaction costs, and improves settlement efficiency. It also expands access to digital banking services, promotes financial inclusion, supports SMEs and fosters growth under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

    This integration of PAPSS to the LIT app reinforces FirstBank’s leadership in digital banking innovation and supports the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agenda by simplifying intra-African transactions.