Leadership Training at First Bank of Nigeria: A Case Study

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to identify components of an exemplary leadership development program that might serve as a framework for training leaders for banking organizations in Nigeria. We recruited 30 managers, supervisors, and officers with at least 10 years of banking experience to explore leadership development at First Bank of Nigeria’s headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria. Face-to-face interviews focused on exploring what type of corporate leadership training strategies worked for First Bank of Nigeria. Four major leadership development strategies that worked best for First Bank emerged from analysis of the qualitative data obtained: (a) classroom, online, and on-the-job training; (b) mentoring; (c) coaching by a shadow manager; and (d) personal development and work-life balance. First Academy, the training arm at First Bank of Nigeria, has made valuable contributions to developing leaders in the fast-paced Nigerian banking industry. Other banking organizations in Nigeria may want to incorporate leadership training strategies used by First Bank of Nigeria.