First Bank allays fears of staff retrenchment over introduction of robotics

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the First Bank of Nigeria, Mr Adesola Adeduntan, has said that the new technology and digital service experience introduced into the banking system of the bank will go a long way to curb forgery, fraud and other forms of vices in the banking sector, which will not affect services being rendered by the staff.

Adeduntan gave the assurance during the launch of the second fully automated Digital Xperience Centre of the branch of the bank at the University of Ibadan on Wednesday.

According to him, the days of customers getting stranded is gone with the digital technology of the centre, adding that customers can walk into the location and conduct their banking services without having to interact with any human being.

He said: “There are machines here that issue debit cards, the Robot can help you to make enquiries and you can work with the Robot to open an account. It can also help you block your account in case you suspect any fraud.”

“The new technology and digital service is the first of its kind, we are the first Bank in Nigeria that has started this digital experience centre. The first one was located at our branch, Adetokunbo Ademola Street on Victoria Island, Lagos.

“We purposefully chose the branch at the University of Ibadan for the second location because of the advance initiative in the city of Ibadan because we believe that the students, lecturers and customers all over the neighbourhood will benefit significantly from making use of the facility.”

Adeduntan said the Digital Experience Centre is a significant leap by First Bank towards revolutionising the banking industry in the country as it is a state-of-the-art hub which puts customers at an advantage in experiencing world-class innovative banking services thereby exploring the future of banking firsthand.

He said it was designed to cater for the growing and evolving needs of consumers and the banking public, enabling customers to navigate the digital landscape with confidence, adding that the initiative aligns with the Bank’s commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences and staying at the forefront of financial innovation.

The bank’s MD noted that the use of biometrics, and the National Identification Number (NIN), will enable the bank to identify all Nigerians banking with First Bank and also allow them to work in tandem with what the government wants to achieve in the sector.