FirstBank has announced the commencement of its 2025 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CR&S) Week, scheduled to hold from October 27 to November 1.
Now in its ninth year, the annual event reflects the bank’s commitment to community empowerment, environmental sustainability and the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through its ‘Start Performing Acts of Random Kindness’ (SPARK) initiative, FirstBank continues to promote kindness and social impact, focusing on uplifting communities and supporting environmental preservation.
During the CR&S Week, employees across the FirstBank Group including FirstBank Nigeria, FirstBank UK, FirstBank Gambia, FirstBank Sierra Leone, FirstBank DRC, FirstBank Guinea, FirstBank Ghana, FBNBank Senegal, First Pension and First Nominees, will dedicate time and resources to causes aligned with the bank’s sustainability strategy.
Speaking on the event, acting group head of marketing and corporate communications, Olayinka Ijabiyi, said the CR&S Week encourages people to show kindness and support to others.
“CR&S Week is a call to action. It is about showing up for humanity and proving that even the smallest act can ripple into lasting change,” she said.
As part of the 2025 edition, the bank plans to plant 20,000 trees in partnership with the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), in support of Nigeria’s 2060 decarbonisation agenda.
This is the final phase of FirstBank’s pledge to plant 50,000 trees by 2025, having already planted 31,000 trees over the past two years.
In addition, the bank will collaborate with Borno and Katsina States to raise funds and provide medical interventions, including surgeries and post-care kits, for women living with Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF), in line with the United Nations SDG 5 on gender equality and women empowerment.
Throughout the week, FirstBank staff will participate in activities promoting kindness and compassion, including webinars on the SPARK initiative and school engagements aimed at teaching social responsibility to young people.
The week will conclude with visits to orphanage homes, internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and charitable organisations across Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa and the UK.
Since its launch in 2017, FirstBank’s CR&S Week has served as a platform for corporate citizenship, encouraging staff, stakeholders and the public to engage in acts that promote social good and environmental sustainability.
