First Bank of Nigeria Limited has graduated 12 candidates in its Senior Management Development Programme to enhance their leadership and strategic business skills for sustainable growth in the banking sector.
Folake Ani-Mumuney, Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, FirstBank, in a statement on Friday in Lagos said the graduation was the third edition.
SMDP is First Bank’s intensive modular programme for a select group of senior to principal managers who are proven leaders in their respective functions and have been identified as central to the bank’s succession plan.
Ani-Mumuney said that prior to the 2020 edition of the programme, 40 exemplary staff had successfully participated in the SMDP, which was conceived in 2017.
Ani-Mumuney quoted Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, First Bank’s Chief Executive Officer, as saying the programme was part of the bank’s efforts to continuously integrate leadership into its culture, growth and expansion drive across Africa.
She quoted Adeduntan as saying the SMDP programme was a unique learning experience that would impact the professional, intellectual and personal development of the emerging leaders.
According to her, the CEO commended the graduates who, he said, demonstrated value and excellence in banking services.
Ani-Mumuney quoted Adeduntan as having said: “I am delighted with the performance of the third set of the SMDP graduands.
“This set’s performance and response to the various trainings and initiatives have been very impressive and exemplary.
“I encourage each graduand to maximise the experience and knowledge garnered from the programme as they build on their individual and collective contributions to the bank’s continued growth, as well as its efforts in enabling and impacting Nigeria and the African continent at large.”
Also, Ani-Mumuney quoted Omobolanle Adesola, Senior Vice-Chairman, Standard Chartered Bank Group, as saying the SMDP programme was an enabler and a call to serve.
Adesola urged the graduates to uphold integrity and commit to the progress and excellence of FirstBank and the entire banking sector, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic had made the banking terrain challenging, according to Ani-Mumuney.
She also quoted Ini Ebong, Chairman, First Academy Governing Council, as saying the graduates had been equipped with skills to actualise their potential and boost their leadership quality.
According to Ani-Mumuney, Ebong said the bank believed in the graduates and looked forward to seeing them excel.