Ogbonge Gossiper

  All is now set for the Fidelity International Trade and Creative Connect (FITCC) billed for Houston, Texas in the United States of America. Labeled as FITCC Houston, the second edition of the international expo will take place from the 24th to 25th of October, 2023 at the plush George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las Americas. Following the successful maiden edition that held last November in London with over $200million worth of deals closed, the bank is set for another edition of the globally rated expo. This year’s edition follows the tradition of promoting Nigeria’s non-oil exports as well as facilitating integrations to global supply-chain networks. “Fidelity Bank is very much invested in supporting export trade and has consistently demonstrated this by the interventions and innovations that we bring to the space,” Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe talks up the motivation behind FITCC 2023: “Beyond the instrument ...

  Fidelity International Trade and Creative Connect (FITCC) got off to a boisterous start on Tuesday, 24 October 2023 as leading financial institution -Fidelity Bank Plc -hosted a broad range of businesses, regulators, members of the diplomatic corps and other guests to the opening ceremony in Houston, Texas, United States of America. Tagged FITCC Houston, the two-days event is aimed at achieving several objectives including increasing the pipeline of Nigerian businesses that export into the US market, providing the diaspora market more ethnic product options and enabling exporters to build capacity to improve product quality and meet international standards. Welcoming participants to the event, MD/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, said, “Developments on the global scene have necessitated the need to constantly seek viable alternatives as businesses work to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving macro-economic environment. On the supply side, businesses are waking up...

  Fidelity Bank set to host 2 days of Family Entertainment …announces maiden edition of its Fidelity Family Weekend Fiesta. In the spirit of the Yuletide, leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, has announced plans to host the maiden edition of the Fidelity Family Weekend. Scheduled to hold on Saturday, 16 and Sunday, 17 December 2023 at the Fidelity Grounds, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos, the event is designed to create a fun and relaxed atmosphere for children to play, parents to relax and young adults to unwind during the festive season. “The Yuletide season is all about coming together and spending quality time with loved ones especially as we wind down the year in anticipation of a new year. As a bank committed to providing memorable experiences for its clients, we pioneered the Fidelity Family Weekend to fete host our customers and clients to two fun filled days of family entertainment. We believe this is one more way of thanking our customers for a successful year,...

 Fidelity Bank Plc’s leadership in the exports space has once again been reaffirmed with the bank’s emergence as the Export Finance Bank of the Year at the BusinessDay and Other Financial Institutions’(BAFI) Awards 2023. The bank was presented the award at a prestigious dinner event held on Saturday, 28 October 2023 at Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. “The BAFI Awards is the benchmark of distinction for institutions in the Nigerian financial services sector. Now in its 10th year, the awards recognises and celebrates organisations that excel in the delivery of financial services in Nigeria,” read a statement by BusinessDay Media Limited, the award organisers. Commenting on the award, MD/CEO Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe said, “We are grateful for this recognition and dedicate the award to our customers who rely on us to provide the right support for operating effectively in the global non-oil exports market space. As a bank, we remain committed to our go...

competition in Ogun State and at the national level in Lagos, earning them the right to represent Nigeria in Ghana at the 2019 African Company of the Year competition. Taidob College emerged from Ghana with four awards, the most by any of the participating Junior Achievement member countries, including member countries, including Botswana, Eswatini (Swaziland), Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Nigerian representatives won the following: Client Focus Award, Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, Facilitator of the Year Award and were second runners-up for Company of the Year Award. The 2018 National Company of the Year competition winners who went on to emerge the grand winners at the Africa Company of the Year competition in Ghana same year, Inventive Explorers from Caro Favoured College, Ajegunle, Lagos were concerned about traffic accidents, especially in areas with school children crossing busy streets. Their innovative device, a rechargeable han...

  Leadership Acceleration Programme (LAP) was designed to develop and infuse critical leadership and change agents within the middle management staff cadre of the Bank. The Bank graduated 78 successful participants in the recently concluded second edition. The inaugural edition had 71 graduates, bringing the total number of graduates to 149. LAP is among the three core leadership programmes aimed at internally identifying and developing high potential talents who could take up the mantle of being the next generation of the Bank’s leaders. Other Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP) and FirstBank Management Associate Programme (FMAP). First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial services provider, has graduated the second set of successful participants in its Leadership Acceleration Programme (LAP). The event held on Thursday, 1 June, 2023, at Oriental Hotels. The inaugural edition that held in 2019 had 71 graduates. The Leadership Acceleration Pro...

Africa is gearing up for the exhilarating second edition of the largest gaming and esports tournament in West Africa, Gamr X, proudly hosted by Gamr. The theme for this year’s tournament is “Brave,” challenging participants to step up and claim victory for their country. Are you brave enough to claim the X? Following the groundbreaking success of the inaugural event, which drew thousands of competitors and spectators from across the continent, Gamr X 2023 promises to be even more grandiose. With a staggering prize pool of $15,000 and an estimated attendance of over 5,000, last year’s tournament set an unprecedented record. This year promises to be even bigger, Gamr X welcomes participation from more than 15 African countries, all set to showcase their exceptional talents in a range of popular gaming titles. From FIFA 23, PUBG, and Mortal Kombat to CODM, FreeFire, Street Fighter 6, and many more, the competition will be fierce and thrilling. But the excitement doesn’t end there; attende...

FBNBank in Guinea, FBNBank in Senegal as well as a Representative Office in Beijing, China. The Bank is at the forefront of promoting digital banking in the country and has issued over 12 million cards, the first bank to achieve such a milestone. FirstBank’s cashless transaction drive extends to having more than 12 million people on its USSD Quick Banking service through the nationally renowned *894# Banking code and over 4.5 million people on the FirstMobile platform. It is, by far, the leader in the number of digital transactions per minute across multiple channels. FirstBank’s commitment to Diversity is shown in its policies, partnerships and initiatives, such as its employees’ ratio of female to male (about 39%:61%; and 32% women in management) as well as the FirstBank Women Network, an initiative that seeks to address the gender gap and increase the participation of women at all levels within the organization. In addition, the Bank’s membership of the UN Women is an affirmation o...

  The award was bestowed on FirstBank in recognition of the Bank’s role in promoting trade and investment endeavours across the continent. With its subsidiaries across the FirstBank Group, FirstBank has continued to play a leading role in boosting cross-border businesses, including trade and investment opportunities, essential to enhancing trade relations amongst countries. In 2021, the Bank launched its First Global Transfer (FGT) initiative, specifically designed to ensure safe, timely and improved efficiency in the transfer of funds across the network FirstBank subsidiaries in Africa. First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier banking institution and leading financial inclusion services provider, has won the Financial Institution of the Year Award at the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) Pan African Business and Development Awards. The ceremony marked the 30th anniversary of Afreximbank as it hosted the inaugural Pan-African Business and Development Awards in associ...

At a time when some households, firms and agencies were scrambling for funds to combat the recessive state of the Nigerian economy, a unique product aptly designed by First Bank of Nigeria Limited, called FirstGem, has helped some Nigerian women actualise their dreams through easily accessible funds to start up and to expand their businesses. A perusal into the nature, benefits and characteristics of the banking product unveiled some intriguing facts. Introduction FirstGem which marked it’s first year anniversary recently, having kicked off in October 2016, is a product suite that cuts across women from 18 years and above irrespective of location and social status, providing an opportunity for women to create a savings plan and culture that guarantees them safety in the future; which enables them to save towards a specific target. The product: In a bid to overcome the challenges women face with asset ownership as collateral to back up loan accessibility for business development and exp...

  What did (the various territories that were later to be amalgamated into) Nigeria look like in 1894? How about a hundred years later in 1994? And what could Nigeria look like in the year 2094? History provides elaborate answers to the first two questions. Answers – accurate or near-accurate answers, that is – to the third, however, will rely entirely on the ability to predict/envision the future and work to invent and create the predicted future. With a continuing shining legacy of nation-building – supporting innovative financial, commercial and other developments in Nigeria and even Africa – one bank is already projecting beyond today to the year 2094, exactly 200 years from its founding in 1894. The bank, FirstBank of Nigeria Ltd, is not just predicting a bright, innovative future for Nigeria but is going all out to foster what is required to invent it. FirstBank is putting its money where its mouth is. The bank has been betting the farm on Nigeria’s young and emerging generat...

 Just like most other sports, golf has always embraced innovations. But for such innovations the sport would probably have died in the 1800’s. If gutta percha has not been discovered and replaced with the feathery ball, perhaps, there wouldn’t be golf today. Even the use of Hickory shafts was similarly revolutionary. Back home, golf story is replete with history. While some believed that golf was first played in Sapele, Delta State, others believed golf history has its root in Lagos. While no consensus has been arrived yet, the standpoint of many is that the white colonialists brought golf into the country, while the likes Anthony Enahoro, the man who first muted the idea of Independence for Nigeria was one of the first few Nigerians to play the game. While the history of golf won’t be complete without mentioning the role played by Enahoro, it is the support of corporate organisations that has sustained the game over the years. Unlike many other sports, golf has been a bit fortunat...