FirstBank urges collective action to expand financial access, spur innovation

The Managing Director of FirstBank Group, Mr. Olusegun Alebiosu, has solicited collective actions to expand financial access for small businesses as means of building capacity for economic growth of the country.

Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja at a breakfast session during the 31st Nigeria Economic Summit, themed “Expanding Access to Finance and Driving Growth Across Middle Market and Emerging Corporate Segments’, Alebiosu reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to bridge financing gaps and leveraging digital solutions to tackle business challenges across key sectors of the economy.

He said that a prosperous nation is built on the backbone of its real sector, adding that access to finance remains fundamental to unlocking the sector’s full potential.

According to him, FirstBank empowers Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and emerging corporates through tailored products and services designed to stimulate growth across their value chains and support Nigeria’s economic evolution.

Alebiosu stressed that collaboration among policymakers, industry players, and technology partners was vital to achieving lasting impact.

“By forging partnerships across policy, industry, and technology, we can create an enabling environment that unlocks new opportunities for businesses to thrive. That is the driving purpose of today’s session,” he said.

He highlighted that with a legacy spanning 131 years, FirstBank remains a trusted partner to SMEs and large corporates, offering comprehensive banking solutions that enhance innovation, resilience, and diversification in the economy.

On his part, the Group Executive, Commercial Banking, North Division, Mrs. Aishatu Bubaram, said the middle market and emerging corporates are central to Nigeria’s future prosperity.

She described these enterprises as vibrant drivers of job creation, innovation, and diversification across key sectors such as agribusiness, healthcare, digital services, and light manufacturing.

Bubaram noted that despite their potential, these businesses face persistent challenges, including limited access to finance, inadequate advisory support, and fragile operational ecosystems.

“FirstBank recognises that addressing these barriers is not just a banking imperative; it is a national imperative.

“This session is not merely about banking; it is about reimagining how finance can accelerate inclusion, how policy can create enabling environments, and how collective action can turn Nigeria’s vast entrepreneurial energy into shared prosperity,” Bubaram stated.

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