FirstBank, West Africa’s leading bank and a champion of financial inclusion, has launched its 2025 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CR&S) Week, taking place from October 27 to November 1, 2025. Celebrating its ninth edition, the event underscores the Bank’s unwavering dedication to community empowerment, environmental sustainability, and the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Under the theme ‘Start Performing Acts of Random Kindness’ (SPARK), FirstBank continues its legacy of fostering kindness and social impact, aiming to uplift communities and minimize environmental footprints. During CR&S Week, employees across the FirstBank Group—including Nigeria, UK, Gambia, Sierra Leone, DRC, Guinea, Ghana, Senegal, First Pension, and First Nominees—are mobilized to volunteer their time and resources toward meaningful initiatives aligned with the Bank’s sustainability vision.
Olayinka Ijabiyi, Acting Group Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications, emphasized the significance of the week: “CR&S Week is a call to action. It’s about demonstrating kindness in all its forms—showing up for humanity and inspiring change through small acts that ripple into lasting impact. Since 2017, our SPARK initiative has empowered staff to give back to communities and promote acts of kindness that transcend borders.”
Among the key projects, the Bank plans to plant at least 20,000 trees in partnership with the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), supporting Nigeria’s 2060 decarbonization goals. This initiative builds on FirstBank’s pledge to plant 50,000 trees by 2025, with 31,000 trees already planted over the past two years.
In line with its commitment to gender equality and SDG 5, FirstBank will collaborate with Borno and Katsina States to provide medical interventions—including surgeries and post-care kits—for women living with Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF).
Throughout the week, staff will share messages of kindness, fostering a culture of compassion and empathy across the organization. The program includes webinars centered on the SPARK initiative, school engagements to instill social responsibility in youth, and visits to orphanages, IDP camps, and charitable organizations across Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa, and the UK—aiming to empower the most vulnerable.
These activities exemplify FirstBank’s commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility, aligning with its strategic pillars and supporting Nigeria’s Green Recovery agenda.
Since its inception in 2017, FirstBank’s CR&S Week has showcased the Bank’s efforts in driving positive social change, sustainability, and community engagement. It has evolved into a powerful platform that unites stakeholders and communities worldwide in promoting inclusive development, environmental protection, and acts of kindness that inspire collective action.
