This was communicated by a delegation of the Bank led by the Managing Director/CEO of its parent Bank, FirstBank and Subsidiaries, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan in separate meetings with President Akufo-Addo and the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.

In the meeting at the Jubilee House on Monday, Dr. Adeduntan, who was accompanied by Mr. Kofo Majekodunmi, Board Chairman, FBNBank Ghana, Mr. Ini Ebong, Executive Director, Treasury & International Banking, FirstBank, Oluwatosin Adewuyi, Executive Director, Corporate Banking, FirstBank, Mr. Victor Yaw Asante, MD/CEO, FBNBank Ghana and Ms. Rosie Ebe-Arthur, Non-Executive Director, FBNBank Ghana indicated that FBNBank Ghana is part of an African Bank that has roots in Nigeria is committed to playing its part as a good corporate citizen to support the development of the country’s economy.

On his part, President Akufo-Addo, welcomed the FBNBank delegation and charged them to work together with the government and people of Ghana to address some of the challenges the country is facing currently.

According to the President, “the difficulties that all of us are going through now are nothing that we have to re-emphasize and reiterate. It is obvious, and the source of it is also something that all of us know. It has been different impacts on different economies and countries but the root causes of it are well known. They are matters that we have to also resolve together. I believe that at the end of the day, it is this cooperation across borders in our regions that will give us the strongest base in which to deal with the problems that have emerged in these last two years.”

In the meeting with the President were Mrs. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, the Chief of Staff, Minister of State in Charge of Finance, Hon. Charles Adu Boahen and the Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante, Executive Secretary to the President.

In the meeting at the Ministry of Finance, the Finance Minister, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta touched on the current economic challenges facing the entire African continent in addition to issues like the banking sector clean up and the new resilience exhibited by
Banks based on their performance as per their published 2021 results. He called on banks to take actions which would ultimately fuel the growth of the economy. He mentioned in particular the reduction of the interest rate and increased lending to SMEs.

The FBNBank delegation shared the Bank’s efforts and commitments with the Ministry of Finance team highlighting recent undertakings like the partnership with Government for the YouStart Initiative to grow the country’s new crop of young entrepreneurs and also the support so provided for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The Finance Ministry team comprising of the Minister of Finance, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta supported by Hon Charles Adu Boahen, Minister of State in charge of Finance, Simon Akligoh, Director of Financial Sector Division at the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Yaw Ansu, Chairman, National Development Bank Board expressed their appreciation for the bank’s support.

The Bank’s delegation to the Ministry of Finance was made up of Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, CEO, FirstBank and Subsidiaries, Mr. Ini Ebong, Executive Director, Treasury & International Banking, FirstBank, Oluwatosin Adewuyi, Executive Director, Corporate Banking, FirstBank Mr. Kofo Majekodunmi, Board Chairman, FBNBank Ghana, Mr. Victor Yaw Asante, MD/CEO, FBNBank Ghana and Mr. Semiu Lamidi, ED/CFO, FBNBank Ghana.