Fidelity Bank Plc., yesterday announced a new partnership with Nigeria’s Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN)
The company, in a blog post, said that the initiative is “a major move to bridge the gap in helping small businesses access much needed funding and capacity development initiative.”
It then went on to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the company’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, noting that the partnership reinforces the fact that the bank is a leading supporter of SMEs in Nigeria.
Speaking on the initiative, Onyeali-Ikpe stressed that “For us at Fidelity Bank, supporting SMEs is in our DNA and for more than two decades we have been creating multiple platforms to help them thrive.
“These include the numerous products we have pioneered for the sector, our collaboration with the Lagos Business School to host the Export Management Programme, the Fidelity SME Academy and our weekly SME Forum radio programme where we have had successful business owners and even SMEDAN share tips on running thriving ventures with listeners,” she added.
SMEDAN Director-General/CEO Olawale Fasanya said Fidelity Bank is “unusual in Nigeria” as it has shown “great interest in supporting the large MSME community”.
“Fidelity Bank is one of the few commercial banks in Nigeria that have shown immense interest in providing support to the large MSME community. I am very aware of some of your products purposely designed to serve the MSMEs. This explains why the Agency is very excited entering into this relationship that we believe will help change the narratives of the sub-sector”, commented Fasanya.
Fidelity Bank is a full-fledged commercial bank operating in Nigeria with over 7 million customers serviced across its 250 business offices and digital banking channels.
The bank was recently recognized as the Best SME Bank Nigeria 2022 by the Global Banking & Finance Awards. The bank has also won awards for the “Fastest Growing Bank” and “MSME & Entrepreneurship Financing Bank of the Year” at the 2021 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.