Financial inclusion : First Bank takes banking to campuses, markets

First Bank Nigeria Ltd., is organising “Campus Storms” to provide students and ivory tower communities the opportunity to experience accessible banking offerings at their doorsteps, to strengthen the financial inclusion initiative.

A statement by the bank on Tuesday in Lagos said that it would be at the University of Benin (UniBen) and the New Benin Market on Jan. 24 to Jan. 27 ; Abia State Polytechnic and Ariaria Market on Jan. 31 to Feb. 3 ; and Usman Danfodio University & Sokoto Main Market on Feb. 7 to Feb. 10 to educate, engage, and introduce bespoke products.

It added that the bank’s products and services to be introduced to the students include the XploreFirst accounts designed for youths between the ages 18 to 24, to promote savings culture and banking convenience for the youth and mass market customers.

“The other products that will be on display at the storm are the FirstInstant Savings and FirstInstant Savings Plus accounts, both of which enable customers open fully functional bank accounts, with minimal requirements from anywhere, at any time, via any of the Bank’s online platforms,” the statement said.

It stated that the Bank would also use the opportunity of the storm to re-introduce its mobile banking service, Firstmonie which enables the banked, the unbanked and the under-banked Nigerians to have the opportunity to make mobile transfers, as well as mobile payments anywhere from the comfort of their mobile phones.

According to the statement, students and the university communities will also be taken through the dynamics of the recently-unveiled enhanced features on the bank’s mobile banking app “Firstmobile”, which enables customers to now carry out transactions such as domestic funds transfer from self-owned accounts to FirstBank accounts and other third party bank accounts.

It also allows customers to make quick airtime purchase for self and others on all mobile networks; bills payments; such as DSTV and GOTV subscriptions, cheque services, including confirm of cheques and stop cheques, flight bookings, and quick account services, among others.

The statement said that the campus and market storms would include activities and games such as The Entrepreneur Challenge, Business Talker Competition, XploreFirst Skaters competition and The Best Business Idea Competition, with lots of prizes to be won.