Business

From Market Stall to Millionaire: How Fidelity Bank GAIM 6 Transformed My Life – Fufu Seller

Published

1 month ago

November 4, 2025

Question: Let’s start this interview with a general introduction of yourself. Tell us about yourself as a customer of Fidelity Bank?

Response: My name is Mrs. Francesca Ogbonnaya and I am from Delta State while my husband is from Ebonyi State, South – East Nigeria. I was born here in Kano State, which means I have been in the state for so long. I am a trader and as you can see, my business inside the market is trading. I sell fufu to different customers who buy and then resell in their restaurants or feed their families at home. I started banking with Fidelity Bank, about a year ago, that is sometime in 2024. And I have been with the bank since then.

Question: Talking of banking with Fidelity Bank, may we know what inspired you to register with the bank instead of any other bank?

Answer: I think that my relationship with my former bank was not satisfactory enough. I had been hearing about Fidelity Bank and what I heard was encouraging. And so, when it was time to change my bank, Fidelity Bank naturally came to my mind. And I can tell you that I have not been disappointed. This is because all those good things that were said about the bank before I opened an account, I have experienced them while banking with them. Their staff attend to customers very well, and whenever I call my account officer, he attends to me very well. Each time I call on him regarding my account, he is on standby to help me.

Question: When did you open an account with the bank?

Response: Like I said earlier, I opened an account with the bank last year, around January or February 2024. And I opened a Savings Account.

Question: What is your experience with the bank. Is it wonderful? And if yes, why?

Response: My experience with the bank can only be described as wonderful. Apart from all other services, this is the first time I am experiencing a thing like this. I have never experienced any bank in Nigeria where I won in a savings promo. With this alone, I will say that my experience with the bank has been wonderful, really wonderful because I never expected anything like this. I also never knew of the GAIM 6 promo. I just woke up one day and found that I have won such an amount of money from the bank. This is why I will repeat that they are a wonderful bank, they are a bank for the people.

Question: You mean you didn’t know about GAIM 6 or any promotion, that you were just putting in your regular money and you won?

Response: Yes! I had no idea of an on- going promotion by the bank. I deposit money with them every day. Every day, at the end of business, I put in something into my account, no matter how small. I make sure I put money every day and I withdraw when I want to withdraw. Any amount I seek to withdraw, they give to me without wasting time.

I really didn’t know about any promo. As you can see in the market, I don’t have time for myself, talk less of having time to know about the Fidelity Bank’s Get Alert In Millions promo. I didn’t know of it. All I know is that one day, they called me on my phone number to inform me that I had won an amount of money in season 6 of GAIM. And that is all.

Question: When you received the news that you had won some money from the bank, how did you feel?

Response: The truth is I was sick on that day; I was actually lying on a sick bed when they called me to announce that I had won the sum of N1million from them. It was incredible. I was very, very happy and surprisingly, I jumped up and ran to my business outfit here to tell them the good news from the bank. At first, people around me did not want to believe, that it might be a scam. I told them that I trust my bank. And all they asked me to do was to go their branch to claim my money, which is what I did.

Question: Moving forward, what do you intend to do with the money you just won from the bank? Or put another way, what have you done with your money?

Response: Well, I have added it to my business capital and that has made my business bigger than what it was before the GAIM 6 promo money. I followed the advice of the bank when I won the money and I can tell you they did not just leave me. They told me what and what I should do and I can tell you that my business has recorded an improvement. We are now doing better than we were doing before the promotion money came.

Question: What is your message to the management of Fidelity Bank?

Response: First, I want to thank the bank for the efforts they are putting in ensuring that their customers are satisfied. I pray that they continue to support their customers and I beg them to continue. This is because if they extend this sort of promotion money for a longer time, they would be making more people to become rich. They would be helping hands. So, I am begging God that they should not stop or halt this promotion. It should continue and it should touch the poor, so that more customers will be made rich by the help of the bank.

Question: What is your message to Nigerians that are not yet banking with Fidelity Bank? What is your advice drawing from your experience?

Response: Well, I will say that Fidelity Bank is a good bank. It is a place you bank and you don’t have to worry about the safety of your money. Instead, your money can even make you a millionaire. The Get Alert In Million Season 6 promo can change their lives as it has changed my own. So, I urge my fellow Nigerians to come and join us at Fidelity Bank because Fidelity Bank is a bank you can trust and we their customers are proud of them.

Business

Fidelity Bank Reaffirms Support for Indigenous Oil, Gas Development

Published

2 weeks ago

November 25, 2025

Olumide Ojo

Fidelity Bank Plc has restated its commitment to advancing Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, with a strong focus on supporting indigenous operators. This was highlighted by the bank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe,OON, during a first oil presentation event for Emadeb Energy at Fidelity Place, the bank’s corporate headquarters in Lagos.

At the event, Emadeb Energy’s Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Adebowale Olujimi, expressed appreciation for the bank’s role in enabling the company’s progress.

“What makes Fidelity Bank unique is its willingness to take calculated risks. Many banks prefer to work with companies only after they have achieved first oil because they want already-established customers. Fidelity Bank reviewed our proposal thoroughly, including legal, technical, financial and character assessments. We met these requirements and that is why they supported us,” Olujimi said.

Dr. Onyeali-Ikpe congratulated Emadeb Energy on its milestone and reaffirmed Fidelity Bank’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s energy sector.

“At Fidelity Bank, we are dedicated to supporting indigenous companies in developing oil and gas assets that enhance energy security and promote sustainable growth. Our interventions include financing Nigeria’s first privately built and operated onshore crude export terminal in over fifty years at the Otakikpo Marginal Field in Rivers State.

“We also led funding for the Pinnacle Oil and Gas Terminal in Lekki, Lagos, which improves petroleum product distribution and reduces costs. In addition, we part-financed the production of a 23,000-cubic-meter Liquefied Petroleum Gas carrier for Temile Development Company Limited, which supports cleaner energy use and strengthens local maritime participation,” she said.

Emadeb Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited, operator of Petroleum Prospecting License (PPL) 236, recently achieved first oil from the Ibom Field, a milestone regarded as a significant breakthrough in Nigeria’s upstream sector.

“Our next phase will be exciting. We plan to drill two additional wells and increase production to 12,000 barrels per day by the end of 2026. After that, we aim to expand our gas business and raise oil output to 30,000 barrels per day,” Olujimi added.

L – R: Executive Director -South, Mrs. Pamela Shodipo; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe,OON (both of Fidelity Bank Plc); Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Adebowale Olujimi; Group Executive Director, Mrs. Olugbesoye Olujimi (both of Emadeb Energy); Executive Director -Lagos and South West, Fidelity Bank Plc, Dr. Ken Opara; and Group Executive Director, Finance/Strategy, Emadeb Energy, Mr. Tosin Adewuyi; at the First Oil presentation event by Emadeb Energy at the Fidelity Bank headoffice in Lagos recently.

Business

Q3 2025: Fidelity Bank Grows Interest Income by 33%, Fee Income by 47%

Published

2 weeks ago

November 22, 2025

Olumide Ojo

Fidelity Bank Plc, a leading financial institution, has released its unaudited financial statements for the third quarter ended September 30, 2025. The results show impressive performance across key income lines and operational metrics.

According to the statements published on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) portal on November 21, 2025, the Bank reported Gross Earnings of ₦366.1 billion for Q3 2025. This represents an 8 percent increase from the ₦338.9 billion recorded in Q3 2024. The growth was driven by strong interest income and sustained momentum in fee-based revenues.

Interest Income, calculated using the effective interest rate method, rose by 33 percent to ₦285.6 billion in Q3 2025, compared to ₦214.7 billion in Q3 2024. Other Interest Income more than doubled, rising from ₦13.0 billion in the corresponding period of 2024 to ₦34.2 billion. This underscores significantly improved returns from non-core lending activities.

Year-to-date, the Bank achieved a major milestone with Gross Earnings surpassing ₦1.1 trillion, the highest in its history. This is an increase from ₦772.5 billion in Q3 2024. The Bank’s total assets also crossed the ₦10 trillion mark, driven by robust growth in cash, customer loans, and investment securities; this compares to ₦8.8 trillion in Q3 2024. Net Interest Income for the nine-month period reached ₦565.3 billion, while fee and commission income totaled ₦84.5 billion. The respective figures for Q3 2024 were ₦470.5 billion and ₦56.3 billion.

Credit Loss Expenses moved to ₦900 million from ₦32.8 billion in Q3 2024; however, Net Interest Income remained flat at ₦144.8 billion, compared to ₦143.7 billion in Q3 2024. This reflects improved asset quality and effective risk management practices. Fee and Commission Income grew by 47.2 percent to ₦31.1 billion, up from ₦21.1 billion in Q3 2024, driven by increased transaction volumes and digital banking adoption. Foreign currency revaluation gains contributed ₦14.1 billion to Non-Interest Revenue, while other Operating Income rose to ₦1.1 billion from ₦447 million in Q3 2024.

Business

Scaling Women’s Impact: Development Bank of Nigeria, Sterling One Foundation Host WIRA Demo Day

Published

2 weeks ago

November 20, 2025

Olumide Ojo

A milestone moment awaits on November 21, 2025, as Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), with support from Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and Sterling One Foundation host the Women Investment Readiness Accelerator (WIRA) Demo Day to showcase the innovation and growth potential of women-led enterprises in Nigeria.

The Demo Day will serve as the final stage of the WIRA program, providing women

entrepreneurs who have undergone weeks of hands-on business development training,

mentorship, and investment readiness coaching the opportunity to pitch their businesses to a room of targeted investors, development finance institutions, and strategic ecosystem partners.

WIRA was launched to bridge the long-standing capacity and financing gap faced by women-led businesses in Nigeria.

Many women entrepreneurs continue to face capital, quality advisory services, market opportunities, and networks needed to scale their enterprises, despite playing a significant role in driving economic productivity and job creation.

The programme directly responds to these gaps by equipping participants with the tools, resources, and confidence to expand and sustain their businesses in competitive markets.

investing in women-led enterprises: “

Speaking ahead of the Demo Day, Dr. Tony Okpanachi, Managing Director/CEO of Development Bank of Nigeria Plc, emphasized the importance of The WIRA program represents a strong step toward unlocking the potential of women entrepreneurs who, for too long, have been underserved. At DBN, we recognize that empowering women-led MSMEs is essential for achieving inclusive economic growth.

The upcoming Demo Day is an opportunity to showcase the innovation and resilience that these women bring to the Nigerian economy, and to connect them to partners who can help bring their ideas to scale.”

Similarly, Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of Sterling One Foundation, noted that the Demo Day reflects the Foundation’s commitment to long-term women economic empowerment: “Our goal with WIRA has been to not only build business capacity, but to expand the pathways to funding and visibility for women entrepreneurs. The Demo Day is more than a pitch event, it is a platform that elevates women’s voices, celebrates their innovation, and links them with opportunities to grow their impact. We look forward to showcasing the remarkable progress these entrepreneurs have made.”

The event will be attended by impact investors, commercial and development finance institutions, private sector partners, and stakeholders in the women entrepreneurship ecosystem.

About the Development Bank of Nigeria

Development Bank of Nigeria was set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) in

collaboration with global development partners to address the major financing challenges facing Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria. Its objective is to alleviate financing constraints faced by MSMEs and small Corporates in Nigeria through the provision of financing and partial credit guarantees to eligible financial intermediaries on a market-conforming and fully financially sustainable basis.

For more informationvisithttps://www.devbankng.com/

About the Sterling One Foundation

Sterling One Foundation (SOF) is a registered non-profit focused on tackling the root causes of poverty in Nigeria, and Africa through interventions and social impact programmes across three critical sectors namely: health, education and climate action & food security.

Gender Equality and women empowerment are integrated as a cross-cutting priority across all our programming areas. The Foundation’s programmes adopt a central theme of prioritizing partnerships for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For more information visit onefoundation.ng

Chiwendu Isaiah

Public Relations, Sterling One Foundation.