First Trustees Brings Stakeholders Together to Advance Sustainable Agricultural Financing

First Trustees Limited, a subsidiary of FirstHoldCo Plc and one of Nigeria’s leading providers of fiduciary and trusteeship services, has hosted the maiden edition of its Commercial Trust Colloquium, bringing together key public and private sector stakeholders to explore sustainable financing models for Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

Themed “Beyond Intervention Funds: Building Sustainable Financing Models for Nigerian Agriculture”, the colloquium examined financing solutions capable of unlocking the long-term potential of the country’s agricultural sector and attracting sustainable private capital.

Agriculture remains central to Nigeria’s food security, employment, industrial growth and economic diversification. While intervention funds have provided critical support to the sector over the years, the scale of the opportunity requires more resilient, scalable and market-driven financing models capable of supporting viable businesses across the agricultural value chain.

The Commercial Trust Colloquium provided a platform for policymakers, financial institutions, investors, development partners, agribusiness operators and capital market stakeholders to examine alternative financing structures beyond traditional intervention mechanisms.

Discussions focused on strengthening agricultural value chains, allocating risks more effectively, improving productivity and building investor confidence needed to sustain long-term investment in the sector.

Speaking on the conditions required for sustainable agricultural finance, Ereifemi Akeredolu, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of First Trustees Limited, said: “In my work across trust and financial services, I have seen that sustainable growth is rarely the result of funding alone. Capital moves more confidently when responsibilities are clear, risks are properly understood, governance is sound and all parties can rely on the structures around a transaction.”

She noted that trust institutions have an important role in establishing accountability, protecting the interests of participating parties and helping to ensure that agreed obligations are fulfilled.

According to her, these functions can support the development of credible, long-term structures needed to keep capital committed to Nigerian agriculture.

Beyond the thought-leadership discussions, First Trustees unveiled its upgraded digital experience platform, marking a significant milestone in the company’s digital transformation.

The platform is designed to simplify client interactions by digitising key trust-service processes, reducing paperwork, streamlining documentation and providing a more efficient service experience.

Through a secure and user-friendly interface, the platform puts greater control in your hands right from your mobile device, bringing your wills, trusts and more into one seamless digital experience.

The upgrade reflects First Trustees’ commitment to using technology to improve accessibility, convenience, operational efficiency and the overall client experience.

The unveiling represents a strategic step towards modernising trust administration and delivering services that meet the evolving expectations of today’s digitally connected clients.