Education and Youth Development

Educational and youth development consistently received adequate support. The Bank's investments in the FirstBank Professorial Endowment in 12 universities are presently worth N385 million. In a re-alignment of the endowment programme, the Bank decided to complement these endowments with infrastructure projects. In the period under review, such projects were completed in two universities. These projects include:

• construction of a 500-seater lecture theatre at Obafemi Awolowo University; and
• construction of the University of Abuja Entrepreneurship Centre.

The sum of N100 million was also released for the construction of a senate building for Olabisi Onabanjo University.

Other corporate social investments in education include:

• N25 million to the University of Ilorin for the 24th Conference of the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.
• N25 million to SIFE National Leadership Conference.
• N21 million to the High School Musical Programme.
• N20.9 million to the construction of a students' hostel for Jigawa state.
• N20 million to the building and equipping of a computer laboratory in St Anne's Nursery and Primary School, Kaduna, in commemoration of its Golden Jubilee Anniversary.
• N9.9 million as additional funding for the construction of a 500-seater lecture hall for the Federal University of Technology, Minna.
• N8 million to Wole Soyinka's Prize for Literature.
• N5.8 million for the purchase of a Toyota Hiace bus for the University of Ilorin.
• N4.5 million as final payment for the construction of the University of Abuja Entrepreneurship Centre.
• N2.6 million to Barewa Old Students' Association Annual Lecture and Dinner.
• N1.5 million to the rehabilitation of the University of Lagos Staff School Auditorium.
• N1 million to the School of Media and Communication, Pan African University, Lagos Alumni Association.
• N1 million to the fourth NTA-ETV 2009 National Children Expo.
• The Bank also made commitments in respect of the additional funding for the construction of the University of Port Harcourt Faculty of Social Sciences Building, support for Kings' College Old Boys' Association (UI Chapter) Kings' Week 2009, Kids Trust Limited Press Conference for less-privileged children, the second Annual Harambe Nigeria Conference on Youth and Development, and support for Redeemers University's first convocation totalling N2.6 million.