FirstBank has declared its sponsorship of the Global Trade Review (GTR) West Africa 2026 that will be held this week in Lagos.
GTR West Africa conference will deliver actionable intelligence and future-focused analysis of the dynamics influencing trade across West Africa, exploring common trends, challenges and solutions within areas such as agribusiness, hard commodities, risk mitigation and infrastructure development. The conference is expected to convene about 450 delegates from 200 companies and 15 countries, with 45 speakers covering two impactful days of knowledge sharing and networking.
Speaking on the sponsorship, Olayinka Ijabiyi, Acting Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, FirstBank, said: “As a bank with six subsidiaries within the West African region, FirstBank is playing a leading role in driving trade and investment across sub-Saharan Africa. We have a strong commitment to optimise these footprints to enhance business development in all our countries of operations. With the adoption of trade and payment-enabling platforms like Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), the Bank is enhancing intra-African transaction efficiency, empowering SMEs and corporates, and supporting the competitiveness of businesses across Africa.”
The two-day conference will feature a distinguished lineup of speakers including economic analysts and industry leaders such as Nneka Korley-Ndahi, Head, Transaction Banking Sales, FirstBank; Oluseye Thomas, Head, Export, Structured Trade Finance & Trade Solutions, FirstBank; Queenette Durosinmi-Etti, Chief Operating Officer, UAC of Nigeria, Adesanmi Adedayo, Senior Vice-President, Structure Trade Finance, Standard Bank Group; Innocent Isichei, Chief Executive Officer, ACIOE Associates; Karim Ezzeddine, Vice-President, SkyKapital, among others.
The sponsorship of the GTR West Africa Trade & Finance Conference underpins FirstBank’s commitment to stimulating the economy in sub-Saharan Africa and the entire continent at large.


