Tier-one lender, Fidelity Bank Plc, has once again highlighted the importance of promoting non-oil exports as it recently hosted the 18th edition of its dedicated capacity development training tagged Export Management Programme (EMP 18). The program, which was held recently in Lagos, provided a platform for entrepreneurs interested in exploring global trade opportunities to scale and acquire relevant expertise.

Hosted in partnership with the Lagos Business School (LBS), the 5-day intensive program focused on equipping entrepreneurs with the skills and knowledge needed to explore international market opportunities and strengthen their capacity to thrive in the export sector.

“At Fidelity Bank, our strategy to enhance non-oil exports is guided by the significant opportunities it offers to our customers and the national economy. This is why we offer a comprehensive suite of financial, advisory, and market-access solutions for businesses aiming to engage in international trade.

“Our market-access initiative, EMP, launched in 2016, has trained over 1,600 entrepreneurs. Today, we completed the 18th cohort with high-caliber participants and a 150% oversubscription. This indicates a promising future for Nigeria’s non-oil exports,” explained Isaiah Ndukwe, Divisional Head of Export and Agriculture at Fidelity Bank Plc.

Facilitated by key industry experts in the exports space, EMP 18 took participants through several sessions focused on critical areas in global trade such as Export Finance Instruments, Export Documentation, Accessibility of Export Markets, amongst others.

A key feature of the training was a facility tour of one of Nigeria’s busiest Export Processing Terminals (EPT) located in Ikorodu, Lagos State. The full-day visit, which was anchored by officials of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), gave participants a first-hand feel of the necessary procedure and requirements for securing regulatory approval for exporting from Nigeria.

One of the program participants, Patrick Ulayi Awu-Patricks, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Alliance & Frontier Limited, commended Fidelity Bank for its leadership in deploying capacity-building initiatives in the non-oil exports sector. In a discussion with journalists, he stated that EMP 18 provided invaluable exposure to the opportunities in the export business, noting that “there are lots of non-oil exports opportunities and entrepreneurs must be able to identify and capitalize on these to be able to play effectively in the international trade space. This course has given me insights into the power of data, which is essential for strategic decision-making.”

Ranked among the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank Plc is a full-fledged Commercial Deposit Money Bank serving over 8.5 million customers through digital banking channels, its 255 business offices in Nigeria and its United Kingdom subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited.

The Bank is the recipient of multiple local and international awards, including the Export Finance Bank of the Year at the 2023 BusinessDay Awards; the Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards; Best Payment Solution Provider Nigeria 2023; and Best SME Bank Nigeria 2022 by the Global Banking and Finance Awards. It was also recognized as the Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2023 and the Best Domestic Private Bank in Nigeria by the Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards 2023.

Fidelity Bank Plc has announced 20 new millionaires at the 2nd and 3rd monthly draws of its Get Alert in Millions Season 6 (GAIM 6) promo held at the bank’s corporate head office in Lagos.

The 20 lucky winners, randomly selected through an electronic draw across Lagos, North, Abuja, South-West, South-South, and South-East zones, will be rewarded with the sum of one million naira each.

Speaking at the draws, the promo chairperson and executive director for Lagos and the southwest, Fidelity Bank Plc, Dr. Ken Opara, represented by the regional bank head, Ikoyi, Chetachi Okechukwu, noted that the GAIM 6 promo was designed to reward customers’ loyalty, encourage a savings culture, and promote financial inclusion across the country.

According to Opara, “Fidelity Bank is dedicated to the financial well-being of our customers and this commitment inspired the launch of the GAIM Promo, designed to cultivate a strong culture of savings.

“Through this promo, customers have the chance to win substantial cash prizes up to N10 million by saving and transacting with their Fidelity Bank Savings accounts. In addition to the monetary rewards, winners will receive complimentary financial advisory services to secure and grow their wealth for the future.”

The monthly draws were monitored by the representatives of relevant regulatory bodies, including the South-West Zonal Coordinator, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPC), Mrs. Aboluwade Margaret; and the Principal Legal Officer, Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Oyinkan Kusamotu.

Since the campaign launched in November 2024, Fidelity Bank has disbursed N19.75 million to 869 customers across different categories. The GAIM 6 campaign, which will run until August 2025, is set to reward lucky customers with a total of N159 million.

Ranked among the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank Plc is a full-fledged commercial deposit money bank serving over 8.5 million customers through digital banking channels, its 255 business offices in Nigeria and its United Kingdom subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited.

The Bank is the recipient of multiple local and international awards, including the Export Finance Bank of the Year at the 2023 BusinessDay Awards; the Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards; Best Payment Solution Provider Nigeria 2023; and Best SME Bank Nigeria 2022 by the Global Banking and Finance Awards. It was also recognized as the Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2023 and the Best Domestic Private Bank in Nigeria by the Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards 2023.

Unity Bank Plc has announced the appointment of Kolawole Ebenezer as its new acting managing director/chief executive officer.

The appointment follows the retirement of Mrs Oluwatomi Somefun, who has completed her tenure as MD/CEO.

The development was announced at the bank’s 18th Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Lagos on Wednesday, after securing necessary approval from its primary regulator, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Mr Kolawole is a seasoned and consummate banker with over three decades of industry experience. He began his financial services career at Caribbean Finance Limited (an affiliate of CFL in Cayman Island) in Kaduna in 1992. He later joined Ecobank, where he worked in various departments of the bank, both operations and finance suites and rose to the position of Deputy Financial Controller.

He moved to Standard Trust Bank (STB) and worked at various strategic areas, including operations, regulatory risk management, and finance suites, and played a pivotal role in the STB/UBA merger. Post-merger, he served as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the United Bank for Africa.

He moved to Mainstreet Bank as the bank’s Group Chief Finance Officer (GCFO) and actively drove the turnaround and transformation initiatives of the bank. He had a brief stint at Globacom, a foremost and Nigeria’s leading indigenous telecommunications giant, where he served in various capacities for corporate business development.

Mr Kolawole joined Unity Bank Plc as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in 2015. He was later, in February 2018, appointed the Executive Director to oversee Finance, Operations, and Information Technology, where he played a key role in the bank’s strategic transformation and cost optimization initiatives, which enhanced the bank’s performance and market feasibility.

In line with the bank’s succession and business continuity plans, Mr Kolawole is saddled with the primary responsibility to finalize the bank’s ongoing corporate programs and other strategic business initiatives of the institution.

Mr. Kolawole holds a First-Class (Hons) Degree in Accounting from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife. He has participated in several management/executive education programs at Columbia Business School, New York, USA, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.

Mr Kolawole is a member of several professional bodies, including: Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA); Fellow, Institute of Credit Administration, (FICA); Honorary Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (HCIB); Associate Member of The Nigeria Institute of Management (AMNIM); Member of the Institute of Directors etc.