First Bank of Nigeria Ltd., a member of FBN Holdings Plc, on Tuesday commenced its Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CR&S) Week in over 3,000 secondary schools across the country to improve financial literacy and inclusion among students.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the scheme, which involves career counseling session, is part of activities marking the second edition of the bank’s CR&S Week scheduled for June 19 to 23, 2018.

The event themed ‘Touching Lives; You First’ offers First Bank employees the opportunity to give their time and resources in the service of humanity.

Dr Adesola Adeduntan, the bank’s Managing Director, speaking at Yaba College of Technology Secondary School, said the week-long event was the bank’s brand promise to always put stakeholders’ needs first.

Adeduntan said the event was being commemorated across its business communities in Nigeria, United Kingdom, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea, Sierra-Leone and Senegal.

He said the initiative was to reinforce the bank’s role in driving sustainable development in the communities where it operates.

Adeduntan stated that the 2018 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability week would amplify the bank’s ‘Employee Giving and Volunteering Scheme’ to create sustainable impact, touch lives and make our societies a better place to live.

Counseling the students, he said: “Professional life is rewarding but it always comes with continuous improvement and investment.”

Adeduntan called on the students to always align their interests and passion with their capabilities in career decision as well as personal brand.

“Even though you think you are young but we believe this is the period you should begin to build your personal brand.

“You need to be creative, innovative and more especially collaborative as collaboration is very important if you want to grow in career.

“Whoever you are, the ability to collaborate and communicate is very important,” he said.

Adeduntan assured the students that the bank would continue to invest its time and services to make Nigerian youths better leaders of tomorrow.

“Part of the reason we have existed for 124 years is about continuously reinventing ourself and you cannot reinvent in yourself without people.

“As a country, if you don’t invest in the youth, who are the people that will take over from us as the leaders of this country.

“Part of our own pillar of CSR is counselling, role modelling of the younger generation.

“At First Bank it’s not just about profitability, it’s also about having an impact on the environment in which you operate and that is our trademark and that is what we have done for the past 124 years.

“And that is what we would continue to do going forward,” Adeduntan added.

The managing director called on the students and youths to be responsible in the usage of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, among others.

He said the bank would also commemorate the International Widows Day (IWD) on June 23 and partner the International Women’s Society (IWS) to empower women, especially widows.

“The bank is partnering with VisionSpring to provide vision screening and affordable eye glasses for consumers earning less than four dollars per day.

“This initiative is structured around three social impact themes: See to Earn, See to Learn, and See to be Safe to impact the lifestyles of their communities,” he said.