By Nana Musa
The Managing Director of First Bank Group, Olusegun Alebiosu, says the bank is deliberate about bridging financing gaps and leveraging digital solutions to solve business challenges.
Alebiosu said this during a session at the 31st Nigeria Economic Summit, with the theme “Expanding Access to Finance and Driving Growth Across Middle Market and Emerging Corporate Segments” in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to him, a prosperous nation is built on the backbone of its real sector, and access to finance remains fundamental to unlocking its true potential.
“That is why we have placed this subject at the heart of our discussion to catalyze sustainable growth and inclusion where it matters most.
“We empower SMEs and emerging corporates through our tailored products and services targeted at driving growth across their value chains, and drive the evolution of the Nigerian economy,” he said.
Alebiosu said that the reform imperative was championing inclusion, supporting sustainable development, and contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s journey towards shared prosperity.
“However, our efforts will only achieve their greatest impact through collaboration.
“By forging partnerships across policy, industry and technology, we can create an enabling environment that unlocks new opportunities for businesses to thrive,” he said.
He said that with a proud legacy spanning 131 years of continuous service, FirstBank was a trusted ally for SMEs and large corporates alike.
“Our comprehensive suite of tailored banking solutions is designed to propel business innovation, enhance resilience, and support diversification across the economy.”
The Group Executive, Commercial Banking, North Division of FirstBank, Aishatu Bubaram, said that the middle market and emerging corporates were at the heart of Nigeria’s future prosperity.
Bubaram said that there were vibrant enterprises that fuel job creation, spur innovation and catalyse diversification across critical sectors like agribusiness, healthcare, digital services and light manufacturing.
She said that they faced persistent challenges, like limited access to finance, inadequate advisory support and fragile ecosystems that constrain their ability to scale.
“FirstBank recognises that addressing these barriers is not just a banking imperative, it is a national imperative.
“For over 131 years, our institution has stood shoulder to shoulder with Nigeria’s enterprises, financing growth, supporting resilience and enabling transitions.
“Today, we reaffirm commitment by focusing deliberately on expanding access to financial solutions, deploying technology to unlock opportunities and forging partnerships that empower businesses to thrive.
“This session is about reimagining how finance can accelerate inclusion, how policy can create enabling environments, and how collective action can turn Nigeria’s vast entrepreneurial energy into shared prosperity,” she said. (NAN)
Edited by Abdulfatai Beki/Kadiri Abdulrahman
