By Modupe Gbadeyanka
**Allays Fears of Employees
The chief executive of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Mr Adesola Adeduntan, has said the management is planning to deploy more humanoid robots in branches across the country.
The bank currently has three branches in Lagos, Oyo, and Abuja that are equipped with the Digital Xperience Centre (DXC), operated by humanoid robots.
The deployment of these robots has raised fears over the employment status of its employees, but in an interview with ThisDay, Mr Adeduntan said workers have nothing to worry about because their jobs are still intact, noting that the DXC is not intended to replace employees but rather to enhance efficiency and productivity.
“The DXC is not a trade-off for our employees but an enabler to free up our staff’s productive time to take on more complex and rewarding tasks within the bank,” he stated.
According to him, “The DXC aims to revolutionise self-service banking operations for clients, adding that the introduction of humanoid robots aligns with the bank’s forward-looking approach to the future of financial services delivery.
He disclosed that First Bank remained dedicated to pushing the boundaries of technological innovation in the banking sector, revealing plans for additional rollouts of DXCs across all operating jurisdictions, underscoring the bank’s commitment to providing cutting-edge banking solutions while simultaneously fostering employee growth and development.
However, Mr Adeduntan further reassured the public by highlighting the bank’s ongoing commitment to employee empowerment, stating that, “Given our several laudable employee initiatives, we are well-equipped to empower our employees to take on any other role they may desire within the larger FirstBank Group.”
First Bank is among the pioneers in innovative banking solutions.
In 2021, it launched the DXC, a fully automated interactive digital branch, in Lagos, redefining customers’ banking experiences through digitised self-service.
Subsequent rollouts at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, and the Wuse branch in Abuja have garnered positive feedback from customers, especially those in the retail segments.
