First National is a financial institution with a strong social enterprise culture – it aims among other things to help build an entrepreneurship foundation throughout the country to improve the standard of living of Ghanaians.  By supporting micro and small scale enterprises, we help build wealth.  Our presence in rural communities helps to reduce poverty. 

Since May 2006, First National has invested in building the most extensive micro-finance and enterprise development network in Ghana.  So far, 26 offices  have been opened with a presence in each one of the ten regions in Ghana, the only organization of its type to do so.   First National plans to open 14 more offices to get closer to the people and serve the needs of the rural communities that have been neglected by the traditional commercial banks.

First National is the only financial institution providing micro finance plus other banking services in all the three northern regions – Upper East, Upper West and Northern, the poorest of the ten regions in Ghana.  The international and local micro finance companies are concentrated in the Capital City Accra and the major cities in the southern belt of the country.  First National believes that it has a social responsibility to provide entrepreneurship opportunity to all Ghanaians. 

First National is making is easier for the ordinary person throughout the country to save.  Our Field Cashiers encourage people to save a minimum of 50 pesewas (less than 50 US Cents) whenever they can through a savings product called “Wo Daakye” (Your Future).  Amounts saved through this product currently earn interest of 15%.

First National has established a Diaspora Service that is unique.  Our goal is to connect Ghanaians abroad back to their country of origin in ways that will support the communities and families they come from while providing a flexible way for them to save and invest for the long-term.  We help pay utility and health care bills for family members at home, school fees for children they support can be safely passed through First National and they can make payments toward building a house in Ghana.  We also provide high earning opportunity in collaboration with Gold Coast Securities for personal pension and pooled fund investments.  We also offer traditional money transfer services.

First National’s Close-to-Client service makes it easier for customers to save, transfer money and pay back loans without leaving their office, farm, store, residence or place of business.  Our employees go to their customers every day to enable them to do their banking transactions from where they live and/or work.  Our domestic money transfer service enables market women, traders and other customers to move money from one branch to the other to make purchases and deal with cash needs at no cost to them.  Traders are able to move throughout the country without carrying cash and not face the threat of armed robbery or theft of any kind.

First National currently has 65,000 deposit and 10,000 loan customers with plans to increase the numbers to 100,000 and 20,000 by the end of 2010.
It is our hope to transform First National to become the first true bank for micro and small enterprise development in Ghana.