Fidelity Bank Plc has won two honours at the 2026 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions Awards.

The bank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, received the Award for Excellence in Banking Leadership, while Fidelity Bank was named Best Bank in Oil and Gas Financing.

The awards were presented at the 14th BAFI Awards held recently at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

According to BusinessDay Media Limited, the leadership award recognises banking executives who have delivered institutional growth, strengthened shareholder value, promoted innovation and inclusion, and contributed to the development of Nigeria’s financial services sector.

Onyeali-Ikpe thanked the organisers and dedicated the award to Fidelity Bank’s customers, board, management and employees.

“I am deeply honoured to receive the Award for Excellence in Banking Leadership. I sincerely thank BusinessDay Media Limited for this recognition and dedicate it to our valued customers, whose trust and support have strengthened and inspired me throughout my career.

“The African philosophy of Ubuntu teaches us, ‘I am because we are.’ In that spirit, this honour also belongs to the board, management and staff of Fidelity Bank Plc, whose dedication and professionalism continue to drive our vision of a stronger, more innovative and customer-focused financial institution,” she said.

Onyeali-Ikpe has more than three decades of banking experience spanning retail, corporate and commercial banking, treasury and business development. Since becoming the Chief Executive Officer, she has led Fidelity Bank through sustained growth and an expansion of its international operations, including the acquisition of the former Union Bank UK, now FidBank UK Limited.

The Best Bank in Oil and Gas Financing award recognised Fidelity Bank’s support for projects across Nigeria’s energy value chain.

The bank financed the development of an onshore crude oil export terminal at the Otakikpo Marginal Field in Rivers State. It also supported the Pinnacle Oil and Gas Terminal in Lekki and part-financed a 23,000-cubic-metre liquefied petroleum gas carrier for Temile Development Company Limited.

Fidelity Bank also participated in the $3bn SNEPCo Contractor Finance Facility, which provides naira and dollar financing to indigenous contractors working on SNEPCo projects.

The projects are expected to strengthen local participation, petroleum product distribution, gas availability and critical energy infrastructure.

The two awards underscore Fidelity Bank’s growing profile in the financial services industry and its role in financing sectors critical to Nigeria’s economic development.

As Nigeria joins the global campaign for breast cancer awareness, Fidelity Bank Plc and Foremost Radiology are encouraging women to recognise possible warning signs, seek professional medical advice and take timely action when they notice unusual changes.

The initiative is being implemented through HerFidelity, the women focused proposition of Fidelity Bank, as part of activities marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Breast cancer may present through a lump or thickening, changes in the size or shape of the breast, changes to the skin or nipple, or unusual nipple discharge. Some of these changes may not be accompanied by pain.

Although such symptoms do not necessarily indicate cancer, health professionals advise that unusual changes should be evaluated promptly. Early diagnosis, timely evaluation and access to appropriate treatment remain critical to improving breast cancer outcomes.

This message forms the foundation of the HerFidelity campaign, which seeks to move breast cancer awareness beyond symbolic expressions and statistics. The campaign promotes informed conversations, appropriate checks, professional medical evaluation and timely action.

HerFidelity was established to support women through access to finance, business education, capacity building, entrepreneurship support, health and wellness programmes.

The proposition reflects Fidelity Bank’s position that sustainable economic empowerment should address the broader needs of women. Access to capital can help women expand their businesses and create employment, while access to relevant knowledge can strengthen their ability to make informed business, financial and health decisions.

Under its health and wellness pillar, HerFidelity is collaborating with Foremost Radiology to deepen breast cancer awareness and encourage women to prioritise their health.

A major activity in the campaign is a webinar themed, Beyond the Lump, The Role of Awareness and Imaging in Early Breast Cancer Detection.

The webinar is scheduled for Friday, October 16, 2026, at 10.00 a.m. West African Time. It will feature Dr Alabi, a Consultant Radiation and Clinical Oncologist.

Dr Alabi is expected to provide insights into breast cancer, possible warning signs, medical imaging and the importance of timely professional evaluation. Participants will also have an opportunity to ask questions and obtain practical information to support informed decisions about their breast health.

The engagement will continue beyond the online session. HerFidelity is also expected to hold a breast health screening and awareness outreach at Oyingbo Market in Lagos on October 25, 2026.

The outreach will take breast health information closer to women within one of Lagos’s busy commercial communities. It is designed to reach women where they live, work and conduct business, while reinforcing the importance of recognising unusual changes and seeking qualified medical attention.

The campaign is guided by the message, Know, Check, Act.

Organisers said its objective is to promote awareness rather than fear, and to encourage women to understand their bodies, pay attention to unusual changes and obtain professional medical advice when necessary.

The initiative also connects women’s health with financial and entrepreneurial advancement. Through HerFidelity, the bank supports women with funding opportunities, business education, mentorship, networks and wellness programmes.

Its access to funding pillar supports women seeking capital to establish or expand their businesses. Its business education and capacity building programmes provide knowledge intended to improve business management and sustainable growth.

The entrepreneurship support pillar promotes mentoring, development and opportunities for women business owners. The health and wellness pillar recognises that the wellbeing of women remains important to their ability to build businesses, support families and contribute to their communities.

By combining financial inclusion with health awareness, the HerFidelity campaign presents women’s empowerment as a broader commitment to economic security, knowledge, confidence and wellbeing.

Women interested in the October 16 webinar can complete their registration online at https://bit.ly/Herfidelity-BC

By Aderonke Oluwadare

LAGOS, NIGERIA – October 2026 – The Pan-Atlantic University Alumni Association (PAUAA) has announced its 2026 International Alumni Conference, scheduled for Thursday, October 22, at the Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC), Victoria Island, Lagos, bringing together more than 400 business leaders, entrepreneurs, academics and alumni to explore how professional networks can become engines of enterprise, innovation and economic growth.

Themed “The Advantage: Connecting People, Ideas and Opportunities,” the conference is anchored on the conviction that an alumni community should be more than a network for reunions; it should be a productive force that builds businesses, scales enterprises and creates lasting economic value.

The conference will feature distinguished guests, including Engr. George Olutope Onafowokan, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Coleman Cables; Mrs Olajumoke Cecilia Ajaye, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of West African Exploration and Production Company (WEPC), part of the Dangote Group, and President of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE); and Professor Enase Okonedo, Vice-Chancellor of Pan-Atlantic University.

Speaking ahead of the conference, Dr Onyebuchi Odianjo, President of the Pan-Atlantic University Alumni Association, said the event would harness the collective strength of the university’s alumni community to create meaningful opportunities for individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

“The true advantage of an alumni community lies in its ability to connect people, ideas and opportunities that create lasting value. Through this conference, we aim to move beyond networking to meaningful engagement, partnerships and practical collaboration that support individual success and contribute to the growth of Nigerian businesses and the wider economy,” she said.

The full-day conference will feature two plenary panel discussions designed to explore both the practical realities of building successful enterprises and the diverse paths through which alumni achieve professional and personal fulfilment.

The first session, “Built to Scale,” will examine the strategies, challenges and decisions involved in transforming business ideas and entrepreneurial ventures into sustainable, scalable enterprises. Discussions will focus on business growth, innovation, leadership and the capacity to build organisations that endure.

The second session, “Beyond the Classroom: Alumni Who Redefined Success,” will explore how alumni have challenged conventional definitions of achievement, navigated career transitions and pursued alternative paths to professional fulfilment and impact.

The first panel will feature Dr Peter Bamkole, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Pan-Atlantic University; Mr Deji Lana, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Seamless Technologies; Mrs Titilayo Oyinsan, broadcaster and media and communications professional; Mrs Temi Salami, popularly known as Global Temi; and Engr. (Mrs.) Elozino Olaniyan, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Midwestern Oil and Gas. The session will be moderated by Mr Eyo O. Eyo.

The second panel will feature Mrs Rosemary Egabor-Afolahan, Director, Commercial and Communications, News Central TV; Dr Goodluck Lakinbofa, Public Relations Manager, MTN Nigeria; Mr Salem King, content creator, digital educator and Co-Founder of Crea8torium; and Mojibade Show, award-winning event host, television presenter, actress, model and strategic communications consultant. The session will be moderated by Mrs Onyinyechi Aderibigbe.

Ms Jemimah Ugiagbe will serve as the compere and master of ceremonies, guiding proceedings throughout the conference.

Beyond the panel sessions, the programme will include a keynote address, interactive question-and-answer sessions, an alumni recognition segment and networking opportunities. The event will provide a platform for alumni, industry leaders and other stakeholders to exchange ideas, strengthen professional relationships and explore collaborations that can translate shared knowledge and connections into tangible business opportunities.

The conference will commence at 8:00 a.m. and conclude with a networking cocktail.

The Pan-Atlantic University Alumni Association is the official alumni body of Pan-Atlantic University, committed to fostering lifelong engagement among graduates and creating opportunities for leadership, innovation and enterprise.