The Group Managing Director, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Bisi Onasanya has stressed the need for relevant authorities to create enabling environment that will boost investment in the country and promote corporate sustainability.

Speaking during the Africa CEO Roundtable tagged “Leading by Empowering: Youth, Skills Training and Unemployment in a Changing Economy” Hosted by the Bank through the FirstBank Sustainability Centre, Onasanya explained that this could be achieved through intervention and providing incentives for business establishments in the country.

The First Bank boss, who stressed the need for companies to develop sustainable business strategies, noted that this would help firms to strive to provide a unique value proposition that will drive higher levels of sustainability and business continuity.

He urged corporate organisations to continue to promote sustainability and corporate responsibility initiatives that would help reshape global economic landscape and drive citizenship.

He noted that for companies to effectively incorporate sustainability into core business models and strategies, top-level commitment by management and board is crucial.

Onasanya noted that effective integration also requires establishing accountability for sustainability priorities and goals to individual business units and individuals across organisation.

He said despite operating challenges a number of business leaders across the globe are championing new thinking of creating learning to become major catalysts for change in their various sectors so as to pave way for a just and more sustainable world.

Onasanya noted that for more than a century and two decades, the bank has been at the forefront of driving national economic growth, empowering people, expanding educational opportunities and learning, improving healthcare and wellbeing, strengthening communities and promoting environmental sustainability across the nation and the world at large.

This is consistent with our belief in banking that serves the common good. Our corporate responsibility and sustainability investments have always been devoted to forging partnerships with people and institutions at the vantage position of finding lasting solutions to the economic, social and environmental issues facing people and communities, Onasanya said.

He said the Bank would continue to support initiatives that will create opportunities for the advancement of skill acquisition and capacity building for the Nigerian youth.

“Our desire is to see our strategic and need driven youth empowerment interventions culminate in equipping Nigerian youths for a bright future”, he said.

He added that the bank will continue to drive the discourse on enhancing youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and tackling some of the challenges faced by youths in their pursuit of good education, research development, small and medium scale enterprises, ICT, among others.