Fidelity Bank Plc has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) Innovation Award in the Deposit Money Bank category, recognizing the bank's exceptional contributions to innovative financial solutions for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria.
The award, presented at the 2025 Service Ambassadors' Awards ceremony in Lagos, celebrates Fidelity Bank's commitment to addressing the unique challenges faced by MSMEs, which are considered vital to Nigeria's economic growth and development.
Speaking on the recognition, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, MD/CEO of Fidelity Bank Plc, reaffirmed the bank's dedication to empowering Nigerian entrepreneurs through innovative financial solutions.
"At Fidelity Bank, innovation is at the heart of our strategy to support MSMEs," she stated. "This recognition underscores our commitment to developing scalable, inclusive, and technology-driven financial solutions that create positive outcomes for our nation's entrepreneurs. We are honored to receive the DBN award and dedicate it to our loyal customers for their continued support."
The award ceremony, themed 'Enhancing Partnership for MSME Resilience and Growth,' highlighted the crucial role financial institutions play in transforming unbankable ideas into viable businesses. Tony Okpanachi, Managing Director of DBN, emphasized the importance of advisory services provided by financial institutions to entrepreneurs.
"You, our partners, are acknowledged and celebrated for your outreach to entrepreneurs and businesses seeking to scale. We appreciate you for your role in converting unbankable ideas into bankable businesses," Okpanachi remarked during the ceremony.
Expanding Support for Nigerian MSMEs
This latest recognition adds to Fidelity Bank's growing list of initiatives aimed at supporting MSMEs in Nigeria. Earlier in May, the bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to facilitate the expansion of Nigerian MSMEs across Africa.
Additionally, Fidelity Bank recently launched the Fidelity SME Hub in Gbagada, Lagos—a multifunctional facility equipped with training halls, meeting rooms, networking spaces, and studios for music, photography, and content production. The hub is designed to foster innovation, collaboration, and capacity-building among small businesses.
Ranked among the top banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank Plc currently serves over 9.1 million customers through its digital banking channels and 255 business offices across Nigeria and its United Kingdom subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited.
The bank has received multiple local and international awards in recent years, including the 2024 Excellence in Digital Transformation & MSME Banking Award by BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions Awards, the 2024 Most Innovative Mobile Banking Application award for its Fidelity Mobile App by Global Business Outlook, and recognition as the Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence.
