Press Release

As part of its efforts to continually maintain leading best practice and remain Customers bank of choice, Nigeria number one banking brand, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd has recently attained Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard certification (PCIDSS).

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which is a set of requirements designed to ensure companies that process, store or transmit credit/debit card information, maintain a secure environment to manage the evolution of the Payment Card Industry (PCI) security standards especially by improving payment account security throughout the transaction process. PCI DSS is administered and managed by the PCI SSC, an independent body that was created by the major payment card brands (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and JCB).

FirstBank earned the level 1 PCI certification which is the highest rank available from the major credit card providers (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and JCB) and this is only given to third-party providers who meet the Council’s stringent – and audited – credit/debit card transaction security protocols to protect customers’ personal transaction data. Level 1 requires an external audit for approval, which is more rigorous than lower level compliance. The audit was performed by the Control Case Qualified Security Assessor from the United States of America with support from Digital Encode an information security management firm.

According to the GMD/CEO, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd., Mr. Bisi Onasanya, attaining the highest level in the PCI certification for the major credit card providers, shows the extent the bank will go to maintain a safe and secure environment for its customers. “FirstBank remains steadfast in its commitment to securing the information of its customers and stakeholders. Despite the various challenges that abound from changes in technology, FirstBank is poised to face and maintain its security standard”. he said. 

About FirstBank

First Bank of Nigeria Limited a subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc is Nigeria’s leading financial services institution by total assets and gross earnings and one of the largest corporate and retail banking financial institutions in sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa). Since its establishment in 1894, the Bank has consistently built relationships with customers focusing on fundamentals of good corporate governance, strong liquidity, risk management and strong capitalization.

First Bank operates an extensive distribution network with over 750 business locations (623 branches, 61 quick service points and 69 cash centers/agencies), over 2,397 ATM’s and over 9 million customer accounts. The Bank has five (5) subsidiary companies, providing a comprehensive range of financial services.

The Bank has an international presence through its subsidiaries, FBN Bank (UK) Limited in London, and Banque International de Credit (B.I.C) in the Republic of Congo, as well as its Representative Offices in Johannesburg, Beijing and Abu Dhabi.

FirstBank is the recipient of many awards. In 2013, the Bank clinched the “Best Bank in Nigeria” in the Euromoney Awards for Excellence, “Best Bank in West Africa” in the African Banker Awards, “Best Bank in Nigeria” in the EMEA Finance African Banking Awards for the fourth time, “Best Foreign Exchange Services in Africa” in the EMEA Finance Treasury Services Awards, “Best Company in Infrastructure” in the Social Enterprise Reports and Awards (SERAs), “Most Innovative Africa Investor SRI 50 Company” in the Africa Investor Index Series Awards, as well as “The Best Company to Work for in Nigeria” and the “Most Innovative Human Resource Structure in Nigeria” by the Great Place to Work Award. Additionally, for two consecutive years, 2012 and 2013, the Bank has been named “Nigeria’s Number One Banking Brand” by Brand Finance Top 500 Banking Brands and “Best Retail Bank in Nigeria” by the Asian Banker International Excellence in Retail Financial Services Awards. Some other recent awards include “Best Banking Group in Nigeria” by World Finance Banking Awards, “Best Financial Reporting Company” by Africa Investor, “Most Innovative Bank in Africa” by African Banker Awards, “The Bank of the Year in Nigeria” by The Banker Magazine.

First Bank of Nigeria Plc January 15, 2014