KANO, NIGERIA — Fidelity Bank Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s Small and Medium-scale Enterprise (SME) sector as it brought together entrepreneurs, business owners, industry stakeholders and customers at the Kano edition of its Quarterly Business Forum.
Held under the theme, “Positioning Northern Businesses for Growth,” the forum provided participants with practical insights on improving business operations, accessing finance, strengthening financial management and leveraging emerging opportunities for sustainable enterprise growth across Northern Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, Executive Director, North, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Sufiyanu Garba, described Northern Nigeria as a critical component of the country’s economic future, stressing the need to unlock the region’s vast entrepreneurial potential through strategic financing, partnerships and market opportunities.
«“The North occupies a critical place in Nigeria’s economic future. With its vast agricultural resources, strong trading culture, manufacturing capacity and large consumer market, the region has enormous potential for sustainable economic growth,” Garba said.»
He added that Fidelity Bank was committed to helping businesses maximise this potential through financing, market access, advisory services and strategic partnerships.
According to him, the Quarterly Business Forum demonstrates the Bank’s commitment to supporting businesses beyond the provision of funds.
“We want to be a trusted partner that understands businesses and provides the financing, knowledge, connections and solutions they need to grow,” he emphasised.»
Also speaking, Divisional Head, SME Banking, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs. Ugochi Osinigwe, described the forum as a platform for direct engagement with entrepreneurs and an opportunity for the Bank to better understand the challenges confronting businesses across different sectors.
“This forum is more than an engagement; it is a listening platform. We are here to deepen our relationships, understand the unique challenges facing businesses across sectors and hear directly from entrepreneurs on how we can serve them better,” Osinigwe said.»
She noted that the Bank’s support for SMEs extends beyond traditional banking, with products, advisory services, partnerships and capacity-building initiatives designed to help businesses become more structured, sustainable and bankable.
Osinigwe also highlighted Fidelity Bank’s zero-maintenance-fee account offerings and free capacity-building programmes, which equip entrepreneurs with practical knowledge in areas including business structuring, record keeping, financial management and access to finance.
“We invest significantly in training because many SMEs struggle due to limited knowledge of essential business practices. Through our physical and digital learning platforms, we help entrepreneurs develop the skills required to become more structured, sustainable and bankable,” she said.»
Participants commended Fidelity Bank for providing a platform that combines practical business knowledge with direct engagement between entrepreneurs and financial institutions.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of I.G. Best Company, Mr. Okereke Ignatus Mmbonye, said the Bank’s SME support extends beyond financing.
“Fidelity Bank has demonstrated that its commitment to SMEs goes beyond access to credit. Platforms such as this provide valuable knowledge and connections that can make a real difference to growing businesses,” he said.
Similarly, Managing Director of Nabila Oil Mills, Mr. Sufiyanu Salisu Ahmad, praised the Bank for creating opportunities for meaningful interaction between the financial sector and the business community.
“It is encouraging to see a bank take such a practical approach to supporting businesses,” Ahmad stated.
The Quarterly Business Forum forms part of Fidelity Bank’s broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s SME ecosystem through access to finance, enterprise development, financial education, financial inclusion and strategic business support.
The Bank’s commitment to MSMEs was recently recognised with the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) Service Ambassadors Award for the Highest Impact on MSMEs Accessing Credit for the First Time, acknowledging its contribution to improving access to credit and deepening financial inclusion.
Fidelity Bank Plc is a full-fledged Commercial Deposit Money Bank serving more than 10 million customers through its digital banking channels and 255 business offices across Nigeria, as well as its United Kingdom subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited.
The Bank has also received several local and international recognitions, including the 2025 DBN Innovation Award for MSME Support, Best Retail and SME Bank Award from Independent Newspapers, Best Bank for Export & Trade Finance and Most Innovative Bank of the Year at the 2025 BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards, and Nigeria’s Best Private Bank at the 2025 Euromoney Awards.
Other recognitions include the inaugural Most Improved Commercial Bank of the Year Award by Nairametrics, SME Bank of the Year Award by NewsDirect, the Straight-Through Processing Excellence Award by Citi Group, and recognition by Global Brands Magazine for Excellence in Community Empowerment.
