LAGOS, Dec. 22, 2025 (Naija247news) – First Bank Nigeria Ltd. has announced the appointment of Prof. Kenneth Amaeshi as the first occupier of the FirstBank Samuel Asabia Professorial Chair of Business Ethics at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), marking a significant milestone in the bank’s long-standing commitment to ethical leadership and sustainable business practices.
The appointment was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by Olayinka Ijabiyi, Acting Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, FirstBank.
The Samuel Asabia Professorial Chair of Business Ethics is an endowed academic position at UNILAG established under FirstBank’s Education Endowment Programme. The chair was instituted in 1994 in honour of Samuel Asabia, the first indigenous Managing Director of FirstBank Nigeria Ltd., whose tenure is widely regarded as pivotal in shaping the bank’s professional and ethical foundations.
The Education Endowment Programme supports advanced research and learning initiatives in selected federal universities across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. The chair holder is expected to lead cutting-edge research, mentor students and professionals, and promote integrity, accountability and responsible leadership in business and public life.
Prof. Amaeshi brings extensive international scholarship and thought leadership to the role. He currently holds professorial chairs in Sustainable Finance and Governance at the European University Institute, Florence, and Sustainable Business and Public Policy at the University of Edinburgh. His research has influenced global discourse on responsible capitalism, corporate governance and Africapitalism, a framework that positions business as a catalyst for inclusive growth and sustainable development in Africa.
Commenting on the appointment, FirstBank Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Olusegun Alebiosu, expressed delight at Amaeshi’s emergence as the inaugural chair holder.
According to Alebiosu, Amaeshi’s global experience and intellectual leadership align with FirstBank’s vision of promoting sustainable development and principled business conduct across Nigeria and beyond.
“This Chair will inspire generations of leaders to drive socio-economic transformation through integrity, innovation and responsible leadership,” Alebiosu said.
The University of Lagos also welcomed the appointment, describing it as a reflection of the shared values between the institution and FirstBank in advancing scholarship, ethics and values-driven leadership. The university said Amaeshi’s role would inspire students, academics and professionals to lead with vision, purpose and ethical clarity across sectors of society.
The FirstBank–UNILAG partnership, the statement added, is designed to deepen research, mentorship and leadership development, while shaping the future of sustainable finance and ethical business practice in Nigeria and across Africa.
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Godwin Okafor is the Publisher & CEO of Naija247news Media Group LLC, an independent investigative news platform delivering accurate, data-driven reporting on Nigerian and global politics, economy, finance, and business. Founded in October 2010, Naija247news specializes in developmental journalism, providing timely insights and analysis to readers across Nigeria and the diaspora.
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