Fidelity Bank Rallies Support for Northern Businesses at Kano SME Forum

L-R: Executive Director, North, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr Sufiyanu Garba; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, I.G. Best Company, Mr. Okereke Ignatus Mmbonye; and Divisional Head, SME Banking, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs Ugochi Osinigwe; at the Fidelity Bank Quarterly Business Forum held in Kano recently.

By Adebola Muili

Fidelity Bank Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the growth and sustainability of Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Northern Nigeria through its Quarterly Business Forum held in Kano.

The forum, themed “Positioning Northern Businesses for Growth,” brought together entrepreneurs, business owners, industry stakeholders and customers to explore practical strategies for improving business operations, accessing finance and building resilient enterprises.

Speaking at the event, Executive Director, North, Fidelity Bank Plc, Sufiyanu Garba, described Northern Nigeria as critical to the country’s economic future, stressing the need for strategic support and partnerships to unlock the region’s entrepreneurial potential.

Garba said the region’s agricultural resources, trading culture, manufacturing capacity and large consumer market placed it in a strong position to contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economic development.

“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,” he said.

He added that Fidelity Bank was committed to helping businesses in the region realise their potential through financing, market access, advisory services and strategic partnerships.

Garba said the Quarterly Business Forum was designed to demonstrate the bank’s commitment to supporting businesses beyond the provision of credit facilities.

According to him, Fidelity Bank seeks to become a trusted partner to businesses by providing not only financing but also knowledge, connections and solutions required for sustainable growth.

Also speaking, Divisional Head, SME Banking, Fidelity Bank Plc, Ugochi Osinigwe, said the forum provided the bank with an opportunity to engage directly with entrepreneurs and better understand the challenges confronting businesses across different sectors.

Osinigwe described the initiative as a “listening platform”, saying the bank’s support for SMEs extends beyond conventional banking services.

“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,” she said.

She disclosed that the bank was also working to reduce the cost of doing business through zero-maintenance-fee account offerings and free capacity-building programmes covering areas such as business structuring, record keeping, financial management and access to finance.

Osinigwe noted that limited knowledge of essential business practices remained a challenge for many SMEs, adding that Fidelity Bank was investing in physical and digital learning platforms to help entrepreneurs become more structured, sustainable and bankable.

Participants at the forum commended the bank for providing a platform for practical business discussions and direct engagement between entrepreneurs and financial institutions.

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of I.G. Best Company, Okereke Ignatus Mmbonye, said the bank’s support for SMEs went beyond access to credit.

He said the knowledge and business connections provided through the forum could make a significant difference to growing enterprises.

Similarly, Managing Director of Nabila Oil Mills, Sufiyanu Salisu Ahmad, commended Fidelity Bank for creating an avenue for direct interaction between financial institutions and business owners.

The Quarterly Business Forum forms part of Fidelity Bank’s broader efforts to support Nigeria’s SME ecosystem through access to finance, enterprise development, financial education, financial inclusion and business support.

The bank recently received the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) Service Ambassadors Award for the Highest Impact on MSMEs Accessing Credit for the First Time, in recognition of its contribution to improving access to credit and supporting enterprise development.