Nsukka, Nigeria – First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier financial inclusion services, has launched its sixth fully automated branch, the FirstBank Digital Xperience Centre at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Enugu State.
Speaking in Nsukka on Wednesday at the First Bank’s UNN branch during the unveiling, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank, Mr. Olusegun Alebiosu, said that the future of banking is digital and that FirstBank is prepared for that future to serve its customers better.
Alebiosu said that the Digital Xperience Centre is a significant leap by FirstBank towards revolutionizing the banking industry in the country as it is a state-of-the-art hub which puts customers at an advantage in experiencing world-class innovative banking services thereby exploring the future of banking firsthand.
“It is designed to cater to the growing and evolving needs of consumers and the banking public, enabling customers to navigate the digital landscape with confidence.
“The initiative aligns with the Bank’s commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences and staying at the forefront of financial innovation.
“The whole idea is to make it easier for customers to transact and do their banking business any day any time without spending much time at the bank because the service runs for 24 hours both on weekends and public holidays,” he said.
Explaining further, the CEO noted that similar centers had been established in other branches of the bank – Adetokunbo Ademola branch, Victoria Island, University of Ibadan, Wuse Branch Abuja, Banana Island and admiralty way.
He explained that the bank has plans to establish more digital Xperience centres in many universities and other branches of the bank nationwide.
“The upcoming generation is digital, they only know phones and transfers. So, we are preparing the future for them by creating a banking service that would be faster and more convenient.
“You can come to the digital hub and request for replacement of lost or expired ATM card through the machine, and in three minutes, you have another ATM card.
“You can deposit your money, do transfers and receive transaction alerts immediately as well as withdraw cash without ATM after putting in your account number and fingerprint biometrics which the system will confirm if they are correct before responding to your request,” he said.
Alebiosu noted further that the Digital Xperience Centre at the UNN is the first to be launched in the southeast zone, adding that the bank has a good age-long relationship with the university.
“First Bank partnership with UNN has endured for many decades, the land where we built our branch here was given to us by the university free of charge because of our cordial relationship with UNN. First bank will continue to maintain that relationship with the institution,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr. Calllistus Obetta, Group Executive, Technology, Digital and Services said that the Digital Xperience Centre is one of the initiatives of the bank geared towards making banking services and transactions smarter, quicker, and easier for customers.
Obetta expressed appreciation to their host, UNN, his bank colleague from retail banking South and Eastern parts of the country, branch Operation Managers, Marketing Corporate Communication Units for their contributions and team work in making the digital Xperience a success.
Earlier, Prof. Oguejiofo Ujam, the Acting Chancellor of the UNN, commended the bank for choosing the FirstBank UNN, as first Digital Xperience Centre in southeast zone, adding that the hub will provide staff, students and members of the university community a digital banking experience.
“We appreciate the CEO of the bank for coming to UNN to inaugurate FirstBank Digital Xperience Centre which is the first in the southeast zone.
“UNN has been doing business with First Bank for many decades and we value the partnership as well as all support the bank has been giving to the UNN; we see this digital hub as an honour done to the university by the bank,” he said.
