FirstBank has successfully graduated 559 delegates from its First Academy, after months of rigorous training aimed at enhancing its sales force. The graduation ceremony, held at the First Academy in Iganmu, Lagos, marked the completion of the FirstBank Pan-African Graduate Trainee Programme.
The programme, an intensive and multi-disciplinary initiative, was designed to equip young, talented individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in the dynamic banking sector. Muyiwa Olulaja, the Group Head of Human Capital Management & Development, highlighted that the programme had a pan-African scope, open to candidates from all the countries where the bank operates on the continent.
Olulaja encouraged the graduates to strive for excellence and set new records in the branches where they will be posted.
“The bank has invested significantly in you. Whether you studied physics, mathematics, or any other field, today you are a banker. What someone spends four years studying in banking and finance, you’ve absorbed in a condensed format. So, you are now ready to step into the world of banking,” he said.
He further urged them to approach their new roles with confidence and ambition. “Go into the branch with your head held high. My charge to you is to soar—set your own targets higher than the ones given to you. Break any records that have been set before you and establish new ones. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your value. Remember, you will continue learning from colleagues who have walked this path before you. You will be entrusted with managing accounts and generating new ones, so embrace the challenge,” Olulaja emphasized.
Tolulope Uwadia, Head of First Academy at FirstBank, also spoke at the event. “These are graduate trainees, many of whom have never worked before. This three-month programme is designed to develop them and integrate them into the business, especially within retail banking, to support and strengthen our retail banking initiatives,” Uwadia explained.
