For its outstanding commitment to driving social and climate change learning initiatives, aligning its learning and development programs with internal stakeholder needs, and promoting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), FirstAcademy, the Corporate University of FirstBank, has won Gold for Best Corporate University in Social & Climate Change at the 2025 edition of Global Council of Corporate Universities (GlobalCCU) Awards, held in Paris, France, recently.

According to the Founder and Chairman of the GlobalCCU Awards, Annick Renaud-Coulon, “FirstAcademy is an outstanding Corporate University that is clearly the Best Corporate University globally for driving social and climate change learning initiatives.

“FirstAcademy is a very mature Corporate University which demonstrates a strong alignment with FirstBank’s vision of responsible banking and sustainable development, with clear support from senior leadership and a governance model that strategically connects learning to business priorities,” he noted.

He congratulated the Academy for setting a visionary standard in advancing meaningful social and climate change impact through learning and inclusive capacity building.

Reacting to the development, Olayinka Ijabiyi, the Acting Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, FirstBank said the bank was thrilled to receive international recognition for efforts in promoting social responsibility and climate action.

“This award serves as a testament to our belief that businesses can be a force for good, driving transformation that extends beyond profit to create sustainable and equitable futures for all. FirstAcademy's programs have not only enhanced employee skills but also contributed to the well-being of society and the environment," he explained.

The GlobalCCU Awards is a prestigious, biannual recognition of excellence in corporate universities, setting the highest standard for the industry. With a rich 12-year history dating back to its inaugural ceremony in Paris in 2013, the awards have consistently honoured outstanding Corporate Universities, learning and development structures worldwide.

The Awards celebrate institutions that create remarkable value for people, businesses, society and the planet.

FirstAcademy was inaugurated in 2012 as the Bank’s designated corporate academy designed to provide structured talent development, knowledge management and culture change initiatives. A major objective of the academy is to equip staff with the requisite knowledge and skills required to deliver on the Bank’s strategic aspirations and to thrive in an ever-evolving work environment while contributing to social and environmental responsibility.

As the Academy continues to bridge the gap between corporate initiatives and community needs, it sets a leading example for corporate universities around the globe, inspiring others to follow suit in the quest for meaningful change.

First Bank of Nigeria Limited “FirstBank”, established in 1894, is the premier bank in West Africa, a leading financial inclusion services provider in Africa, and a digital banking giant.

FirstBank’s international footprints cut across three continents ─ Africa, Europe and Asia, with FirstBank UK Limited in London and Paris; FirstBank in The Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea and Sierra Leone; FBNBank in Senegal; and a FirstBank Representative Office in Beijing, China. All the subsidiary banks are fully registered by their respective Central Banks to provide full banking services.

Besides providing domestic banking services, the subsidiaries also engage in international cross-border transactions with FirstBank’s non-Nigerian subsidiaries, and the representative offices in Paris and China facilitate trade flows from Asia and Europe into Nigeria and other African countries.