First Niagara Financial Group, Inc. to Present at the September 2001 FBR Investor Conference

Business Wire, Sept 4, 2001

Business Editors

LOCKPORT, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 4, 2001

First Niagara Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FNFG) announced today that investors will have an opportunity to listen to a broadcast detailing the Company's strategy and future outlook as it presents at the Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co., Inc. (FBR) 8th Annual Investor Conference at 2:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, September 6, 2001.

The conference presentation will be webcast live, audio-only, and can be accessed through FBR's website at www.fbr.com. The presentation will be archived on FBR's website for approximately 30 days after the conference and the Company's website, at www.firstniagarafinancial.com, indefinitely.

Corporate Information

First Niagara Financial Group, Inc. 6950 South Transit Road

P.O. Box 514 Lockport, New York 14095-0514 Telephone (800) 201-6621

Website: http://www.firstniagarafinancial.com

Transfer Agent and Registrar Mellon Investor Services, LLC

P.O. Box 3315 South Hackensack, NJ 07606

Telephone (877) 785-9670 Website: http://www.mellon-investor.com

Press releases are being distributed by Business Wire and can be found on the Internet, as well as appropriate trade media and financial disclosure circuits. News, analyst presentations and other information about the Corporation are available on the Internet at the Corporation's website, http://www.firstniagarafinancial.com. For additional information about First Niagara Financial Group, Inc. please contact: