FirstBank Partners with Hit FM to Champion Youth Creativity as Official Bank of Calabar Entertainment Conference

CALABAR, CROSS RIVER STATE 

First Bank of Nigeria Limited has been announced as the official bank partner for the Calabar Entertainment Conference (CEC), a flagship youth engagement program organized by Hit FM, Cross Rivers State’s leading radio station.

The partnership underscores FirstBank’s unwavering commitment to empowering young Nigerians in the creative sector by facilitating access to essential resources, knowledge, and financial inclusion.

Focus on the Creative Economy

Now in its 9th year, the CEC will hold on October 17th and 18th, 2025, at Hogis Royale in Calabar. The conference is designed to bring together young talents, industry leaders, investors, and policymakers.

Patrick Ugbe, Executive Producer and CEO of Hit FM, stressed the critical timing of the intervention, noting that the creative sector has "not been in more urgent need of interventions that facilitate capacity building, funding, distribution, and thought leadership."

Ugbe added that FirstBank's support not only "validates the importance of the creative sector in driving national development but also provides a strong platform for youth to access resources, knowledge, and networks that will help transform their ideas into sustainable ventures.”

Leveraging the First@Arts Initiative

Olayinka Ijabiyi, the Acting Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, FirstBank, highlighted how the partnership aligns with the bank's core strategy.

“At Firstbank, we are passionate about supporting platforms that empower young people and nurture talent,” Ijabiyi stated. “Through our First@Arts initiative, which is geared at consolidating support for the creative arts, we are leveraging platforms like the Calabar Entertainment Conference to enable our stakeholders to explore the wealth of opportunities that the creative industry has to offer.”

The two-day conference is set to be packed with high-value content, including keynote addresses, masterclasses, panel discussions, and networking sessions, all designed to inspire participants and equip them to maximize opportunities within Nigeria's dynamic creative economy.