Underscoring the FirstBank’s long-standing commitment to supporting youth empowerment, innovation, and entrepreneurship across diverse sectors, the leading financial powerhouse is partnering Hit FM, the leading radio station in Calabar, Cross River State, and organizers of Calabar Entertainment Conference (CEC) for the flagship youth engagement program in the creative sector.

Now in its 9th year, this year’s CEC event will hold on the 17th and 18th of October at Hogis Royale, in Calabar, Cross River State, bringing together young talents, industry leaders, investors, and policymakers to explore opportunities, tackle challenges, and chart pathways for sustainable growth within Nigeria’s dynamic creative economy.

Speaking on the event, executive producer and CEO of Hit FM Patrick Ugbe said the creative sector “has not been in more urgent need of interventions that facilitate capacity building, funding, distribution, and thought leadership.

“We are thrilled to welcome FirstBank as the Official Bank of the Calabar Entertainment Conference. Their support not only validates the importance of the creative sector in driving national development but also provides a strong platform for youth to access resources, knowledge, and networks that will help transform their ideas into sustainable ventures”.

He added: “by coming on board as the official bank, FirstBank further demonstrates its role as a catalyst for growth, providing financial inclusion and fostering creativity among young Nigerians.”

Also commenting on the partnership, Olayinka Ijabiyi, the acting group head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, FirstBank, stated, “At Firstbank, we are passionate about supporting platforms that empower young people and nurture talent. Our partnership with the Calabar Entertainment Conference aligns with our drive to promote innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship as key drivers of Nigeria’s future.

“Through our First@Arts initiative, which is geared at consolidating support for the creative arts, we are leveraging platforms like the Calabar Entertainment Conference to enable our stakeholders to explore the wealth of opportunities that the creative industry has to offer.”

The two-day event will feature keynote addresses, masterclasses, panel discussions, and networking sessions designed to inspire and equip participants to maximize the opportunities in the creative industry.

The Calabar Entertainment Conference is a flagship youth-focused engagement platform, organized by Hit 95.9 FM, Calabar, that brings together creatives, entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers to discuss, strategize and unlock the potential of the Nigerian creative economy. Since its inception, CEC has served as a catalyst for innovation, collaboration and empowerment in the entertainment and creative industries. The event in 2024 was expanded to a two-day activity week including a food, drinks, games and music festival.

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.

The bank’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.