E-Financial
FIRSTHOLDCO: Reinforcing ESG, Sustainability Initiatives As It Rebrands
By A.Ezekiel
In a world where approximately 20% of new businesses fail within the first two years, 45% within five years, 65% within ten years, and only 25% make it to 15 years or more (according to the US Bureau of Statistics), any business that has crossed 15 years should be sharing insights on survival and success.
But what about businesses that have lasted twice that long? Or a financial services group that has thrived for over 130 years, especially in Africa, where business survival rates are likely lower than those statistics from the Global North? Such a group has certainly earned the right to teach masterclasses on business longevity.
First HoldCo Plc (FirstHoldCo), recently rebranded from FBN Holdings Plc, exemplifies sustainable business practices. A well-diversified group, it is one of Africa’s largest financial services organisations, offering innovative financial solutions through its subsidiaries in commercial banking, asset management, capital markets, securities, trusteeship, and insurance brokerage. FirstHoldCo ensures strategic coordination and synergy among its subsidiaries to deliver long-term value for stakeholders.
Retaining the legacy strengths and experience of FBN Holdings Plc, FirstHoldCo ensures that its subsidiaries enhance positive environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impacts while minimising or eliminating negative ones. This includes managing ESG risks in the workplace, marketplace, community, and environment, with the institutional capability to turn risks into opportunities.
For example, ESG risk management enhances credit and investment decision-making, de-risking processes for subsidiaries such as FirstBank and FBNQuest. It also strengthens social relationships with the communities in which these subsidiaries operate.
ESG and sustainability may be buzzwords for some corporations seeking to appear politically correct, but at FirstHoldCo, they are integral to its identity. The company is self-driven in aligning its strategy and operations with ESG principles and setting new sustainability benchmarks for financial services in Nigeria.
FirstHoldCo’ s flagship subsidiaries, FirstBank and FBNQuest, integrate ESG risks into their products, services, and offerings from the ideation stage through to development and launch. This approach drives responsible lending and investment practices, enabling the group to leverage ESG market opportunities while promoting sustainable socio-economic growth.
FirstHoldCo also prioritises people empowerment, fostering a work environment rooted in equal opportunities, diversity, and inclusion. A notable achievement is bridging the diversity gap, reaching a 40% female to 60% male employee ratio in 2023, one year ahead of its 2024 target.
The group also supports the communities where its subsidiaries operate, ensuring its impact resonates positively. Since 2017, it has implemented the SPARK (Start Performing Acts of Random Kindness) initiative and Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CR&S) Week. In 2023, these initiatives impacted 60,000 lives through outreaches to 60 orphanages, 20 schools, and hospitals across Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, The Gambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, and the United Kingdom. Donations included consumables, computers, clean water projects, school renovations, wheelchairs, and cash. Employees committed over 27,000 volunteer hours to these initiatives.
In 2023, FirstBank reinforced its commitment to empowering women through FirstGem, a financial product supporting women-led businesses. Over N36 billion in loans were disbursed at a single-digit interest rate of 9%. Additionally, its Agency Banking business, FirstMonie, expanded its female agent network to over 55,000.
Inclusion remains a key focus, with FirstBank enhancing accessibility for physically challenged customers in 234 locations, making 25 branches fully accessible and improving access at 209 others. It also expanded the SPARK initiative to institutions like the Bethesda School of the Blind and the Down Syndrome Foundation in Lagos.
FirstBank operates an Environmental, Social, and Governance Management System (ESGMS) to drive responsible lending and minimize ESG risks. In 2023, this system was enhanced to ensure real-time transparency in corporate credit screenings. That year, 2,239 credit transactions worth N4.236 trillion were assessed for ESG risks.
To strengthen ESG compliance, FirstBank collaborates with development partners such as British International Investment, the African Development Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and Proparco, a French development finance institution. Its partnership with Proparco is crucial for integrating climate initiatives into business strategy. This project enhances its understanding of financed emissions and positions it for climate financing and investment opportunities.
This initiative will help FirstBank reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, mitigate exposure to physical and transition risks, and strengthen climate adaptation efforts. It also reinforces its market competitiveness as an ESG leader committed to a low-carbon economy.
As part of its commitment to decarbonisation, FirstHoldCo’ s FirstBank actively engages in reforestation and afforestation through partnerships focused on carbon dioxide (CO2) removal. In 2023, it pledged to plant 50,000 trees by 2025 in collaboration with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF). That year, it planted 1,000 trees at the Lekki Conservation Centre, Lagos; Model Secondary School, Maitama, Abuja; and Federal Government Girls College, Calabar. By the following year, it had planted an additional 30,000 trees, bringing the total to 31,000.
FirstBank also drives thought leadership in climate finance, promoting knowledge on carbon mitigation and climate adaptation. A notable effort was a webinar themed ‘Harnessing Climate Finance Opportunities in Nigeria,’ held in partnership with the Sustainability Practitioners Institute of Nigeria (SPIN). The event featured prominent ESG and sustainability experts such as Professor Kenneth Amaeshi, Dr. Muntaqa Umaru-Sadiq, and Carina Dunker, underscoring FirstBank’s commitment to advancing climate finance discussions.
With so much achieved and ongoing ESG/sustainability initiatives, what is the greatest impact of ESG at FirstHoldCo?
For the group, it is the net positive effect on the communities where its subsidiaries operate. For individuals, it is the tangible benefits from its financial solutions and CSR initiatives. For businesses, it is the sustainable practices FirstHoldCo champions, setting a standard for responsible corporate leadership
Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) says its replacement with the defunct Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) will overhaul the architecture of the country’s revenue administration.
Dr Zacch Adedeji, the executive chairman of NRS, said this in a television interview monitored from Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the provision of the recently enacted tax reform laws changes the nomenclature of the country’s apex tax authority from FIRS to NRS.
According to Adedeji, NRS is not branding. It is a total institutional upgrade moving from fragmented revenue administration to a modern, digitalised, centralised and intelligence-driven system.
He said that under the new framework, multiple tax and revenue-related functions previously spread across agencies have been consolidated, with a stronger emphasis on data integration, automation, and reduced human discretion.
He dismissed allegations that the country’s newly enacted tax reform laws were altered after passage by the National Assembly.
“Only the officially gazetted Acts carry legal authority and are binding on taxpayers and administrators,” he said.
The NRS boss said that an Act of the National Assembly only became effective after Presidential assent and official gazetting, with the gazetted version constituting the authoritative text in the event of disputes.
“Revenue agencies, courts, and taxpayers are therefore guided solely by the gazetted law, not draft bills, committee reports or chamber debates.
“Neither the executive nor the revenue authority has any incentive or legal capacity to alter the law after passage,” he said.
Adedeji said that the overhaul of the NRS is also designed to support the Federal Government’s broader fiscal objectives.
According to him, Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio has improved in recent years, rising to about 13.5 per cent as at October 2025.
“But it remains below the African average and well short of levels seen in peer emerging markets,” he said.
Adedeji said that the overall aim is on taxing profits and returns rather than capital or investment.
“We are not going to tax poverty; we want to tax prosperity,” he said.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced plans to review its rules to encourage the listing of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) on the nation’s stock exchanges as part of efforts to deepen the capital market and stimulate economic growth.
According to a statement from the Commission, Agama said the rules review would focus on incentivising listings from small and medium-scale industries, particularly in manufacturing, automotive, pharmaceuticals and finished goods. He said access to long-term capital through the market would help revive factories, reduce import dependence, create jobs and position “Made in Nigeria” products for global competitiveness.
Beyond SME listings, Agama said the Commission would prioritise the mobilisation of long-term capital to bridge Nigeria’s infrastructure and sectoral financing gaps. He added that regulatory frameworks would be streamlined while innovative financial instruments would be aggressively promoted to channel disciplined capital into productive sectors of the economy.
He disclosed that in 2026, the SEC would facilitate the issuance of infrastructure bonds, green bonds, municipal bonds and infrastructure-focused funds to attract long-term domestic and international capital. According to him, the objective is to finance roads, power, rail, housing and digital infrastructure, while making it easier for state governments and infrastructure firms to access the capital market efficiently.
The SEC boss also said the Commission would promote the listing of agribusiness firms and introduce tailored listing windows for agricultural cooperatives and value-chain companies. Through commodity exchanges, agricultural investment trusts and commodities-linked instruments, he said agriculture would be de-risked, fair pricing ensured for farmers, food security strengthened and wider citizen participation encouraged.
On housing, Agama disclosed plans to revitalise Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and introduce innovative affordable housing bonds. These initiatives, he said, would unlock capital for mass housing delivery, create new asset classes for investors and move millions of Nigerians closer to home ownership.
He further said the Commission would support Nigeria’s power sector through infrastructure bonds, green energy bonds, project-backed securities and public-private investment vehicles to fund grid expansion, renewable energy and energy transition projects.
Agama said the SEC is entering 2026 with a renewed resolve to reposition the capital market as a solution provider to Nigeria’s economic and developmental challenges, adding that the Commission is committed to transforming the market into a key driver of sustainable growth.
has reinforced its position as one of the major forces underpinning Nigeria’s payments ecosystem after processing more than ₦100 trillion worth of transactions in 2025, highlighting its expanding role in the country’s digital economy.
The payment technology platform, licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria as a Switch, Payment System Service Provider, Payment Terminal Service Provider and Super-Agent, operates largely behind the scenes, enabling millions of daily transactions across the public and private sectors.
From salary payments and loan repayments to school fees, pensions, electricity bills and government revenues, Remita supports a broad range of financial activities undertaken by individuals, businesses and institutions across the country. Industry observers often describe its function as the “rails” on which Nigeria’s payment system runs — critical infrastructure that is most visible only when it fails.
According to the company, the volume of transactions processed in 2025 was driven not by one-off spikes but by consistent, everyday activity across transaction switching for financial institutions, corporate and public-sector payments, and consumer financial flows. Remita also facilitated access to more than 15,000 products and services across 180 countries, extending its reach beyond Nigeria’s borders.
Throughout the year, the platform played a central role in revenue collection and disbursements for federal, state and local governments, ensuring the smooth payment of salaries and the continuity of public services.
Analysts note that such reliability is increasingly seen as essential to maintaining public trust in digital governance systems.
On a typical day, Remita enables a wide spectrum of transactions nationwide: a civil servant in Gombe receiving her salary, a contractor in Kogi getting paid, a student in Enugu settling university fees, residents in Abuja paying for water services, property owners in Lagos paying land use charges, and motorists paying traffic fines anywhere in the country.
In 2025, Remita also took steps towards deeper continental relevance through integration with the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), a move aimed at simplifying cross-border payments within Africa and reducing reliance on third-party currencies.
‘DeRemi Atanda, managing director of Remita, said the company’s focus is on building infrastructure capable of supporting a more interconnected African digital economy. “Our responsibility is to build systems that can support that future. We are not just building for Nigeria. We are building infrastructure that can support Africa’s digital economy,” he said.
Artificial intelligence also featured prominently in Remita’s strategy during the year, with the company releasing a fintech AI report that positioned Nigeria within global discussions on the use of AI in financial services.
The report signalled a shift towards payment systems that are more predictive and responsive, rather than merely automated.
Financial inclusion remained another key focus. Through partnerships with agent networks such as Moniepoint, NIPOST and Paga, Remita expanded access to financial services in underbanked communities, bringing digital payment options closer to individuals and small businesses outside traditional banking channels.
Looking ahead, Remita is preparing for the public launch of a next-generation mobile app in the first quarter of 2026, following a public beta in late 2025. The app is expected to offer features including multi-bank account management, esusu groups, recurring payments, international transactions in local currency and discounted airline tickets.
As Nigeria and Africa push towards deeper economic integration, industry analysts say platforms like Remita — reliable, scalable and largely invisible — are likely to play an even more critical role in shaping the continent’s financial future.
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