• Lauds First Bank’s legacy
President Bola Tinubu has said his administration is working to create a system that is sustainable and globally competitive for Nigerian banks and other financial institutions to thrive.
He noted that government policies, under his administration, were motivated by the reality that the nation no longer had the luxury of time to postpone its economic transformation.
Tinubu, who spoke when he performed the foundation-laying ceremony for a new state-of-the-art headquarters of First Bank of Nigeria at Eko Atlantic City in Lagos State, observed that banks could only prosper under a thriving economy.
Represented at the event by Vice President, Kashim Shettima, the President, however, pointed out that what his “administration does and sets out to accomplish rests on the cooperation and capacity of the financial institutions.
“Banks are the engines of economic growth, and we owe it to them to champion a system that guarantees sustainability and global competitiveness. Our expectation is for our banks to excel, to expand beyond our shores, and to earn their place among the world’s most viable and profitable enterprises,” he stated.
Tinubu maintained that his administration was working to create an enabling environment for businesses to flourish despite assuming office at a time that required difficult but necessary decisions to stabilise the nation’s economy.
In his remarks, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, commended Vice President Shettima for his work for the country in support of the administration.
The governor also commended President Bola Tinubu, recalling that he was in his cabinet when the idea to create Eko Atlantic City was birthed, many of the cabinet members expressing doubt about the possibility to create a dry ground out of the bar beach.
Sanwo-Olu thanked the Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Holdings, Femi Otedola, noting that while he was economical with his words, each statement he made carried significant weight.
In his comment, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, said it was an honour to witness what could be aptly described as an iconic building and a significant milestone for the First Bank.
Otedola expressed gratitude and excitement over the groundbreaking ceremony, just as he eulogised President Tinubu “for his unalloyed support for this great project”.
Welcoming dignitaries and other guests to the event, the Managing Director and CEO of First Bank Plc, Mr Olusegun Alebiosu, said since its establishment in 1894, First Bank had been at the forefront of Nigerian banking evolution, stressing that the journey of the bank had been defined by accountability, transparency and unwavering commitment to customers.
