At the 2025 GlobalCCU Awards in Paris, First Bank, the premier financial services provider in West Africa, announced that FirstAcademy, its corporate university, had won the Gold Award for Best Corporate University in Social & Climate Change Impact.
This esteemed award emphasises FirstAcademy’s outstanding work promoting social responsibility and climate change initiatives through creative educational initiatives. The honour strengthens FirstBank’s commitment to sustainable development by highlighting the organisation’s commitment to coordinating its training and development initiatives with more general societal and environmental objectives, BrandSpur banking and finance news desk reports.
Since 2013, the GlobalCCU Awards have been given out every two years to recognise excellence in corporate universities around the world and to recognise those that significantly improve the lives of individuals, companies, society, and the environment. Another significant milestone was reached at the 2025 ceremony in Paris, which recognised organisations that are setting the standard for incorporating sustainability into corporate learning.
FirstAcademy has played a significant role in developing talent, encouraging knowledge exchange, and cultivating a responsible culture within FirstBank since its founding in 2012. Developing capacity-building initiatives centred on environmental responsibility, integrating climate action into its operations, and broadening its climate finance offerings are all examples of its commitment to sustainability.
The GlobalCCU Awards’ founder and Chairperson, Annick Renaud-Coulon, gave FirstAcademy high marks: “It is a remarkable Corporate University that exemplifies leadership in social and climate change education, setting a global standard for responsible corporate learning.”
FirstBank’s Acting Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, Olayinka Ijabiyi, was pleased with the accomplishment: “This international recognition affirms our belief that businesses can be catalysts for positive change. Our programs are not only transforming our employees but also contributing meaningfully to societal and environmental well-being.”
However, by inspiring corporate universities around the world to incorporate social and climate change initiatives into their core missions, FirstAcademy is leading by example and promoting a more sustainable future for everybody.
