First Bank Promotes Sports, Donates N44m for Facilities

First Bank of Nigeria Ltd. in its bid to strengthen sports development and enhance student health and wellbeing through physical recreational activities in secondary schools has donated sporting facilities totalling N44 million to Queens and Kings College Lagos.

The Bank under its corporate responsibility and sustainability initiatives constructed a 450-seater sports pavilion at Queens College and renovated the Squash Court of Kings College as part of its continuous contribution to complementing Government’s efforts by providing educational infrastructure support for Schools across Nigeria.

Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney, FirstBank’s spokesperson, said the financial institution’s interventions in the area of sports development reinforce its commitment to boosting the process of developing the minds and abilities of the nation’s future leaders.

“At First Bank, our ultimate goal is to remain a strong supporter of efforts geared towards equipping the youths with the skills required for socio-economic empowerment through support of sports development, youth engagement initiatives, endowment schemes and infrastructure development. Our desire is to see these strategic and need-driven youth empowerment interventions culminate in equipping our Nigerian youths for a bright future,” she said.

At the commissioning and handover ceremony of the squash court at Kings College, Otunba Oladele Olapeju, principal, commended and appreciated First Bank for its support stating that, “the squash court will help its students develop their skills in the game and building a veritable foundation for grooming future world champions.”

Olapeju urged all stakeholders to help provide support for secondary school sports competitions that will facilitate the discovery of talents that would win laurels for the country in international events.

Also speaking at the event, Vice President Kings College Old Boys Association (KCOBA), Barrister Rotimi Aladesanni, commended the First Bank for its gesture and expressed hopes that the facilities will encourage students in the College to be dominant players in the game.

Mrs. E.M Osime, principal of Queens College, also expressed gratitude to the Bank at the launch and handover ceremony of the sport pavilion in Queens College, saying “I am pleased that the project is completed and on behalf of Queens College, we say a big thank you to First Bank for their efforts in investing in this project.”

First Bank has a consistent history of supporting educational projects across the nation. It has invested huge resources to provide better learning facilities in all levels of schools in the country, while boosting endowment and infrastructural development schemes.

Some of FirstBank’s recent infrastructural development schemes include: University of Abuja entrepreneurship center, educational equipment to Quantity Surveying Department ABU Zaria, the Faculty of Social Science Building and Lecture Theater in University of Port Harcourt, as well as the University of Technology Minna.