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FirstBank Unveils 2025 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Week
FirstBank, West Africa’s premier financial institution and a leader in financial inclusion, has announced the commencement of its 2025 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CR&S) Week, scheduled to hold from October 27 to November 1, 2025.
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Now in its ninth edition, the annual event underscores the Bank’s enduring commitment to community empowerment, environmental stewardship, and the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Themed around its signature ‘Start Performing Acts of Random Kindness’ (SPARK) initiative, this year’s CR&S Week is designed to inspire individuals and communities to demonstrate empathy, generosity, and sustainable action for a better future.
Spreading Kindness Through the SPARK Initiative
The SPARK initiative continues to be at the heart of FirstBank’s social impact strategy. It mobilizes employees across the FirstBank Group’s global network—including Nigeria, the UK, Gambia, Sierra Leone, DRC, Guinea, Ghana, and Senegal—to participate in meaningful community projects.
According to Olayinka Ijabiyi, Acting Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications at FirstBank:
“CR&S Week is a call to action. It is about showing up for humanity, being kind to one another, and proving that even the smallest act can ripple into lasting change. FirstBank believes that kindness is a currency that never devalues.”
Since its inception in 2017, the SPARK movement has encouraged both staff and customers to give back to society, fostering a culture of compassion, mutual respect, and social responsibility.
Championing Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action
In line with its environmental sustainability goals, FirstBank will plant 20,000 trees during the 2025 CR&S Week in collaboration with the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF).
This initiative marks the final phase of the Bank’s pledge to plant 50,000 trees by 2025, supporting Nigeria’s 2060 decarbonisation agenda and contributing to the global fight against climate change.
Over the past two years, 31,000 trees have been successfully planted, symbolizing the Bank’s unwavering dedication to environmental recovery, carbon reduction, and biodiversity protection.
Empowering Women Through Medical and Social Support
Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality), FirstBank is collaborating with the governments of Borno and Katsina States to provide medical and post-care support for women living with Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF).
The programme will offer surgeries, medical interventions, and post-recovery kits, reinforcing the Bank’s belief that empowered women contribute to stronger families and more resilient communities.
This initiative reflects FirstBank’s longstanding advocacy for women’s empowerment, health equity, and inclusive social development.
Inspiring a Culture of Kindness and Empathy
Throughout the CR&S Week, FirstBank employees will be encouraged to share messages of kindness and empathy, creating a ripple effect of positivity across communities.
Activities will include:
- Themed webinars centered on the SPARK values of kindness and compassion.
- School engagement programmes designed to instill social responsibility in young people.
- Visits to orphanages, IDP camps, and charitable organizations across Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa, and the UK.
These outreach activities demonstrate FirstBank’s holistic approach to sustainability—balancing economic growth with social welfare and environmental care.
A Legacy of Impact Since 2017
Since its inaugural edition in 2017, FirstBank’s CR&S Week has become one of the most recognized corporate citizenship programs in Africa.
It has evolved into a global movement that mobilizes employees, customers, and partners to champion kindness, drive environmental recovery, and advance inclusive development.
By aligning its activities with the Green Recovery Nigeria agenda and the United Nations SDGs, FirstBank continues to demonstrate that sustainability is not a side project but a core part of its identity and operational strategy.
FirstBank: Leading with Purpose and Compassion
Through its 2025 CR&S Week, FirstBank reaffirms its position as a financial institution with a human face—one that not only drives innovation and inclusion but also invests in the well-being of people and the planet.
As the Bank celebrates this year’s edition, it calls on all stakeholders—staff, customers, and the general public—to join the SPARK movement and make kindness, empathy, and sustainability a part of everyday life.
