KEY POINTS

• FirstBank’s salary-backed loan, FirstAdvance, now disburses N1bn in a single day.
• Customers can access short-term credit in under a minute without collateral.
• The bank crossed N1trn in cumulative digital loan disbursements in 2025.

FirstBank Nigeria has announced that FirstAdvance, its flagship salary-backed digital loan product, now disburses N1 billion in a single day. According to the bank, the milestone underscores its commitment to delivering accessible, technology-driven financial services to customers.

A fast, collateral-free loan

FirstBank described FirstAdvance as a convenient offering for salary earners that lets customers access short-term credit in less than one minute without collateral. Consequently, the product helps customers meet urgent financial needs at speed.

Moreover, the bank said the scale to a N1 billion single-day disbursement reflects rising customer adoption, growing trust in its digital platforms and the strength of its integrated service model. Speaking on the achievement, the Group Executive for eBusiness and Retail Products, Chuma Ezirim, called it a testament to the bank’s digital capabilities and team collaboration. “We will continue to empower our customers with quick and convenient access to credit, while continuously enhancing their overall banking experience,” he said.

Building on a digital lending push

Furthermore, Ezirim said the feat strengthens the bank’s leadership in retail and digital banking. “This achievement further strengthens FirstBank’s leadership position in retail and digital banking, demonstrating the Bank’s ability to leverage technology to meet evolving customer needs while driving financial services access and economic participation,” he added.

The milestone also builds on earlier progress. In 2025, the bank celebrated N1 trillion in cumulative digital loan disbursements, achieved through products such as FirstAdvance, FirstCredit and Agent Credit. Therefore, the lender argues that smart, data-driven platforms can scale access to credit across a wide customer base.

In addition, FirstBank pointed to its diverse digital channels as the engine behind the growth. These include the *894# USSD service, FirstMobile, LitApp and the extensive FirstMonie agent network, through which customers and agents can obtain loans in under a minute. Ultimately, the bank framed the N1 billion daily disbursement as proof of its standing as a pioneer in digital lending across West Africa, even as it pledged to deepen financial inclusion and widen economic participation through further innovation.