L -R: Nneoma Onuoha, Acting Team Lead, Development Finance & Intervention Funds, Fidelity Bank Plc; Anthony Asonye, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Impact Credit Guarantee Limited (ICGL); Ugochi Osinigwe, Divisional Head, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises Banking; Imaobong Nkanta, Product Manager, SME Banking; and Chiwuike Okere, Team Lead, SME Banking, (all of Fidelity Bank Plc); at the Development Bank of Nigeria Service Ambassadors Award which held recently in Lagos.
Leading retail banking giant, Fidelity Bank Plc has again reinforced its leadership in small and medium-scale business banking as it emerged the winner of the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) Service Ambassadors Award for the Highest Impact on MSMEs Accessing Credit for the First Time.
The award recognises the Deposit Money Bank that has successfully onboarded previously unbanked or credit excluded Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises across Nigeria, reflecting Fidelity Bank’s sustained commitment to deepening financial inclusion, improving access to credit and supporting enterprise growth.
Speaking on the recognition, Divisional Head, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises Banking, Fidelity Bank Plc, Ugochi Osinigwe, expressed appreciation to DBN and reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to the growth of small and medium-scale businesses across the country.
“We sincerely thank the Development Bank of Nigeria for this recognition, which affirms the impact of our work in expanding access to finance for MSMEs, especially businesses accessing formal credit for the first time. At Fidelity Bank, we remain devoted to supporting SMEs with the right mix of funding, advisory services, capacity building, market access and digital solutions that enable them to grow, create jobs and contribute meaningfully to the economy,” Osinigwe said.
She added that the award would further encourage the bank to deepen its interventions in the SME sector and continue to provide practical solutions that help entrepreneurs overcome barriers to growth.
The latest recognition builds on Fidelity Bank’s long-standing partnership with DBN and its consistent support for Nigeria’s MSME ecosystem. In 2025, the bank received the DBN Innovation Award in the Deposit Money Bank category, in recognition of its outstanding contribution to the development and delivery of innovative financial products and services tailored to MSMEs. The bank had also received the 2020 DBN Service Award for the Highest Disbursement to DBN-focused locations, a recognition that highlighted its role in facilitating access to affordable funding for small and medium-scale businesses across targeted markets.
Over the years, Fidelity Bank has implemented several initiatives that support small and medium-scale businesses beyond access to loans. For instance, the bank established the Fidelity SME Hub in Gbagada, Lagos, as a dedicated facility for entrepreneurs, offering access to training halls, meeting rooms, networking spaces, business advisory support and creative studios for content production.
The bank also recently launched its Fidelity Quarterly Business Forum, a strategic engagement platform designed to connect SME founders, business leaders, policymakers and industry experts for practical discussions on business growth, trade, innovation and sustainability. The maiden edition, held in Port Harcourt, focused on scaling trade and distribution businesses for sustainable growth, while providing entrepreneurs with relevant insights, networking opportunities and advisory support.
In addition, Fidelity Bank has continued to support entrepreneurs through its SME Masterclass Series, which deliver practical capacity building in areas such as pricing, product quality, online sales, business visibility and preparation for international expansion. The initiative forms part of the bank’s broader commitment to equipping SMEs with tools they can apply immediately to improve competitiveness and profitability.
