FirstBank, AWS Push Innovation as Driver of Digital Transformation

Samuel Mobolaji

FirstBank of Nigeria Limited and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have called for sustained innovation and digital transformation as critical levers for long-term business growth and improved customer experience.

This message was reinforced during a fireside chat in Lagos, hosted as part of the First Tech Connect Series, which featured AWS Global Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Werner Vogels, alongside senior FirstBank executives.

Speaking after the session, FirstBank’s chief technology officer, Mrs Rachel Adeshina, described the engagement as a valuable experience for the bank’s technology team. She noted that despite its 135-year history, FirstBank remains focused on strategic reinvention through partnerships with global technology leaders such as AWS.

“At the heart of everything we do is our commitment to customer satisfaction,” Adeshina said. “We are constantly redesigning our products and services to align with evolving customer needs. Today’s interaction with AWS gave us first-hand insight into how they innovate, scale, and drive resilience in customer-focused enterprises.”

She underscored AWS’ growth journey—from a modest team to a workforce of over 1.6 million—driven largely by technology adoption, cloud infrastructure, and innovation culture. According to her, FirstBank is looking to deepen its collaboration with AWS by migrating some of its digital workloads to the AWS cloud.

“This is a strategic step in our ongoing digital journey,” she said.

“We’re committed to aligning with best-in-class platforms to deliver exceptional value to our customers.”

Dr. Vogels, while speaking at the event, stressed the need for organisations to foster innovation by embracing experimentation. He noted that agility, risk-taking, and learning from failure are essential attributes of businesses aiming to stay competitive in an increasingly digital world.

“Some of the best bets we’ve made at Amazon didn’t work out,” he admitted. “But our success is rooted in our culture of continuous experimentation and an unwavering focus on customer needs.”

He cautioned against blindly adopting technologies based on media trends, urging businesses to make well-informed choices grounded in their operational context.

On artificial intelligence (AI), Vogels said Amazon had been investing in the technology for several years and that its full potential is just beginning to emerge. He predicted a transformative impact on business models, especially in enhancing customer engagement and automating processes.

Also speaking, FirstBank’s solution development lead, Mr Sakiru Dosumu, said the insights shared by AWS aligned with the bank’s vision to be a customer-centric, technology-driven institution.

“One of the most powerful takeaways is the importance of customer obsession,” he said. “To stay relevant, businesses must challenge conventions, embrace change, and stay committed to delivering superior customer value.”

The First Tech Connect Series is part of FirstBank’s broader strategy to expand its digital capabilities, promote knowledge exchange, and position itself as a leading provider of technology-led financial services across Africa.