FirstBank promotes 1,179 staff

First Bank of Nigeria Ltd on Thursday announced the promotion of 1,179 employees to new grades as part of the year-end appraisal outcomes.

The Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank, Dr Adesola Adeduntan, disclosed in a statement made available to our reporter in Lagos.

Adeduntan said the promotion exercise was a demonstration of the bank’s commitment to empowering its employees and driving productivity against all odds.

He said the resilience, sustainable performance and growth of FirstBank in the past 127 years was largely attributable to efforts of the employees.

“Promotion is one of the numerous incentives we employ to reward our employees and boost their passion as they work toward the accomplishment of their individual career goals as well as the delivery of the bank’s strategic objectives.

“In this regard, the promotions serve to specially thank our employees who worked assiduously with dedication throughout the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As a bank, we are committed to grooming and retaining top talents who are motivated to demonstrate and live our core values of entrepreneurship, professionalism, innovation and customer-centricity.

“FirstBank has a clearly defined career growth and talent programmes that cater for the leadership development needs of employees across levels.

“These include the Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP), Leadership Acceleration Programme (LAP) and FirstBank Management Associates Programme (FMAP),” he said.

Adeduntan said the SMDP was the bank’s intensive modular programme for a select group of senior managers and principal managers who were proven leaders in their respective functions and had been identified as central to the bank’s succession plan.

He said the bank since its inaugural edition in 2017, had graduated 52 senior staff through the programme.

“The LAP was specifically designed to infuse critical leadership and change agents within the middle management staff cadre (Assistant Manager – Manager Grade) of the bank.

“The programme is an intensive skill development programme structured to enhance core leadership and business competencies of our team leads and functional leaders.

“These leaders will in turn drive and advocate the transformation and innovation core – providing the bank with a sustainable thrust for ensuring superior performance and a talent pool of change agents.

“A total of 56 cohorts have successfully graduated from the programme over the last 18 months and are currently serving in various leadership roles in the bank.

“FMAP is a 24-month fast-track comprehensive developmental programme targeted at young, dynamic, self-motivated, and highly driven individuals who possess the right skill set and excellent leadership potential among junior and entry-level employees.

“The programme is also open to non-FirstBank employees who meet the selection criteria. The programme commenced in 2018,” he said.