First Bank of Nigeria Limited has empowered 125 widows under its SPARK Initiative. The widows were identified by the International Women Society (IWS) vis-à-vis their initiative for widows – Widows Trust Fund – with funding to grow their micro-medium scale businesses. However, the desire of the bank is to scale up the empowerment to 500 widows before the end of the year.
Speaking at the 125 widows’ endowment empowerment programme in commemoration of FirstBank 125th Anniversary, the Group Executive, International Banking Group (ITBG), First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Bashirat Odunewu, said the Bank’s partnership with IWS was designed to further the empowerment of women, especially widows. She also stated that the CR&S week themed: ‘Ripples of Kindness; You First’ reflects the brand promise to always put its stakeholders first and is designed to offer employees and other stakeholder, opportunities to give their time and resources to defined causes.
Odunewu, who was represented at the event by the Business Development Manager (ITBG), First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Kunle Olorunfemi explained that as part of the Bank’s employee giving and volunteering programme, the week focuses on wide range of activities under the SPARK (Start Performing Acts of Random Kindness) initiative, which include partnership with IWS for the empowerment of widows, as well as visit and donations to orphanage/less privileged homes, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and deepening the values of SPARK amongst school children.
According to Odunewu, “A world without active collaboration amongst people, organisations, nations and regions is inconceivable. We are here because of our collective desire to pursue synergies that would generate progress for us and future generations. That is the focal piece of sustainability. I am, therefore, optimistic that this partnership will help drive sustainable development.
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