By Desmond Ejibas
Port Harcourt, Nov. 1, 2025 (NAN) – In a bold push to promote women’s entrepreneurship and economic empowerment, First Bank of Nigeria PLC on Saturday handed over business equipment to about 100 women in the Niger Delta.
The donated items included sewing machines, hair dryers, hand dryers, makeup kits, ring lights, as well as cooking utensils like deep fryers and gas cylinders, among others—tools designed to enhance productivity and sustain small businesses.
Mrs. Uchenna Onwudiewe, Group Head of Commercial Banking, South-South, presented the equipment to beneficiaries during a ceremony in Port Harcourt, emphasizing the initiative’s alignment with First Bank’s 2025 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CRS) Week, themed “SPARK – A Way of Life.”
She explained that the women had undergone three months of vocational training across key sectors, including fashion design, catering, hairdressing, and cosmetology.
“This initiative is not just an event but a reaffirmation of First Bank’s commitment to empowering women and fostering inclusive growth across Nigeria,” Onwudiewe said.
She added, “We believe that when you empower a woman, you empower her family, community, and an entire generation. Through this programme, we provide the tools, skills, and financial access women need to start or expand their businesses.”
The initiative also complements the bank’s flagship women-focused programme, FirstGem, which promotes financial inclusion, independence, and literacy. Onwudiewe described FirstGem as both a savings product and a lifestyle platform, offering business advisory, networking opportunities, and financial education to help women build wealth.
“Over the years, our CRS Week has touched lives in orphanages, schools, healthcare centres, and local communities across Nigeria. Today, as we empower these women, we are not only giving them tools but restoring hope, promoting dignity, and strengthening the economic fabric of our society,” she concluded.
Mr. David Ojukwu, Manager of Olyrose Care Foundation, which collaborated with First Bank on the programme, emphasized the social impact of empowering women.
“We live in difficult economic times, which is why we act to alleviate the struggles of mothers and women. If you give someone fish, they eat it once, but if you teach them how to fish, it sustains them for life,” Ojukwu said.
The empowerment drive is part of a broader effort to equip women with skills and resources, create employment opportunities, and strengthen the role of women as pillars of society.
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Reporting by Naija247news in Lagos, Nigeria.
