FirstBank rolls out activities for CRS week
First Bank of Nigeria Ltd. has announced plans for the fifth edition of its Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CRS) Week.
FirstBank branch, head office, not sealed
The bank’s Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Mrs Folake Ani-Mumuney, said this in a statement on Sunday in Lagos.
The statement said that the event slated for Aug. 22 to 27, would offer employees opportunities to give their time and resources to defined causes in line with the bank’s CRS strategic approach.
It said that the theme of the event: “Kindness, A Way of Life”, reflected the single-minded purpose to make a difference in the world by inspiring and institutionalising kindness.
The statement said that the week-long event commemorated across business communities in Nigeria, United Kingdom, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra-Leone and Senegal, was fast becoming a household name in the bank’s host economies.
“The FirstBank CRS Week is a dedicated week designed to offer opportunities for employees to give their time and resources to defined causes in line with the bank’s CRS strategic approach.
“The CRS Week will offer employees opportunities to give their time and resources to defined causes.
“The week’s activities are an aspect of the bank’s Employee Giving and Volunteering Programme, which was instituted to encourage employees to give back to the community as well as inculcate in them the integral corporate culture of giving,” It said.
The statement noted that the maiden edition of the bank’s CRS week which held in 2017 with a focus mainly on three key initiatives/activities, had become more successful in subsequent years.
It said that giving and visits to orphanages/less privileged homes/IDPs, career counselling day; and Staff Promoting Acts of Random Kindness (SPARK) initiative – which is now Start Performing Acts of Random Kindness were activities it focused on in the previous years.
The statement said that this year’s would have five main activities to be implemented in Nigeria, FBNBank UK and across the SSA markets.
It said that these activities included SPARK APP, Kind Comments Day, visits to orphanage/less privileged homes, SPARK School Engagement, and Women Economic Empowerment.
The statement disclosed that the major highlight of the week would be the launch of the SPARK App.
“The app is strategic in the bank’s journey to institutionalise “A Day of Kindness” on a national level, and globally position the bank as a corporate citizen in leveraging new media to drive sustainability practices.
“The SPARK App is a sensational application designed to have individuals abreast with the act of kindness through various kindness-based quotes and inspirational phrases that will be displayed on one’s phone screen, especially when the phone is idle.
“Kind Comments Day is an initiative that focuses on inspiring and encouraging everyone to be deliberate with the use of kind words in relating or interacting with anyone.
“In addition, with Women Empowerment, the bank will support VVF patients in need of surgical operations and also empower them with vocational skills as they integrate back into the society,” it said.
It added that the SPARK Schools Engagement would be implemented through the national competition of JAN SPARK School Integration, aimed at rewarding the various participating students.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, FirstBank, Dr Adesola Adeduntan, was quoted by the statement as saying that the CRS Week would afford the bank another opportunity to touch more lives.
“The CRS Week is another opportunity to strengthen our commitment and extend our reach beyond the communities where we operate in Nigeria and across our subsidiaries.
“Over time, our goal has stayed the same, to create platforms through which our positive impact is felt.
“For us in the FirstBank Group, beyond saying that we care, we take a step further and show it,” Adeduntan said.
He said through the years of commemorating its annual CRS Week, FirstBank had impacted lives across its host communities in Nigeria, the United Kingdom and its SSA subsidiaries.
Adeduntan said these impacts comprised the partnership with the Lagos State Government on the provision of a Primary Health Centre at Ijedodo Community, Lagos State; engagements with over 60 charities, non-governmental organisations, orphanages, correctional centres, schools and Internally Displayed Persons (IDP) camps.
He said that the partnership resulted in touching the lives of over 20,000 underprivileged individuals including widows, orphans and children with disabilities.
[8/22, 8:18 AM] Abatan: Defending Champions,Japan sail into the Semis of U 20 World Cup via Penalty over France,5-3
Defending champions, Japan survived the scare of their lives as the team could only defeat France 5-3 in a game of death after playing 3-3 at full time to get into the Semis of the world U20 FEMALE football tournament in Costa Rica early this morning Nigerian time.
Freezer who lost the first shot in the penalty shootout will forever find it difficult to forgive herself for that missed kick gave the match to Japan at the stadium in Alajuela before 2,979 fans in the match handled by Ref Emikar Calderas of Venezuela whereas Japan scored all their five shots.
It was 2-2 at regular time as Folquet opened the score sheet for France at 15 minutes; Yamamoto equalised for Japan via penalty at 33 minutes; Hamano put Japan ahead at 48 minute and fleet footed Mbakem-Nairo equalised for France at the 84th minute.
So the match went into extra time where two more goals were scored, first for France in 110 minutes and a stylish penalty kick from Fujino saved the night for Japan – 3-3 at full time.
The Japanese were better ball holders having 59% to 41% possession and 577 to 401 passes.
But the French girls were more of a threat with 12 shots on target to 3 of the Japanese; 7 corners to 2 and with their 16 foul calls to 10 it showed the French girls were rough players just the same way they played Nigeria to become second from group C to qualify to play Japan that emerged tops from group D.
The semi final settings show that Brazil will play Japan on Friday morning at 03:00 hours after Spain would have met conquerors of the Falconets of Nigeria, Netherlands at 23:30 hours of Thursday.
Nigeria bowed to Netherlands 0-2 in the quarter final after the country lost a vital World Heavyweight boxing bout through Anthony Joshua and a kick boxing encounter though Kamaru.
Eniola Olatunji.
