L-R: Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, OON; President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Dr. George Elombi; Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Zenith Bank Plc, Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON; Emmy Award-winning Nigerian-American actress, Ms. Uzo Aduba; at CANEX WKND 2026, held in Lagos, recently.
By Peace Udugba
Fidelity Bank Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Africa’s creative economy through its participation as an Official Trade Partner at CANEX WKND 2026, held from November 5 to 8 at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, Lagos.
The four-day event brought together creative entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders and other stakeholders to explore investment opportunities and sustainable growth across Africa’s rapidly expanding creative industries.
The bank’s participation highlighted the importance of connecting creative talents with financial support, business infrastructure, digital solutions and access to local and international markets.
Speaking to journalists at the event, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Bank Plc, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, said the bank’s involvement reflected its commitment to building sustainable businesses within the creative sector.
She noted that although Africa was blessed with extraordinary creative talents, talent alone was not enough to guarantee business success without adequate financial support and the right infrastructure.
According to her, unlocking the economic potential of the creative industry requires a broader approach to capital, including investment in human resources, productive assets, social networks, market opportunities and strong business institutions.
Onyeali-Ikpe explained that creative entrepreneurs needed access to skills development, equipment, production facilities, customers and commercial networks, as well as sound financial structures and business discipline to build sustainable enterprises.
At the Fidelity CreatiVerse Pavilion, visitors experienced a showcase of Nigerian creativity featuring fashion brands OHIOLE LAGOS and SuperDiva by Valerie, alongside artworks by visual artists Emmanuel Anaiye Ifebunmi and Donald Onuoha.
The pavilion also provided opportunities for business engagement, with the bank’s financial experts offering information on SME financing, digital payments, card services, trade and export solutions, account opening and other customer onboarding services.
A major highlight of the bank’s participation was a masterclass organised by its SME Banking division, themed, “Beyond Funding: Building the Infrastructure for Africa’s Creative Economy.”
The session attracted more than 120 participants and brought together creative industry practitioners and banking professionals to examine challenges confronting creative businesses, including access to finance, production infrastructure, skills development, market opportunities and long-term sustainability.
Central to the discussions was CreatiVerse, located at the Fidelity SME Hub in Gbagada, Lagos. The initiative is designed to provide creative entrepreneurs with access to production facilities, learning opportunities and collaborative spaces.
Equipped with music, photography, podcast and content production studios, alongside training and business development opportunities, CreatiVerse represents the bank’s broader approach to supporting creative entrepreneurs beyond conventional financial services.
Fidelity Bank is also expanding opportunities for Nigerian businesses seeking to penetrate international markets through its trade and export banking services and initiatives such as the Fidelity Nigeria International Trade and Creative Connect (FNITCC).
The initiative connects Nigerian businesses with international buyers, investors and strategic partners, thereby creating opportunities for wider market access and business expansion.
Through its combination of financial solutions, capacity development, business infrastructure and market access, Fidelity Bank continues to support the emergence of stronger and more commercially sustainable creative enterprises.
The bank’s participation at CANEX WKND 2026 further reinforces its commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and creating opportunities for Nigerian businesses to grow, thrive and prosper.
Fidelity Bank Plc is a full-fledged commercial deposit money bank serving more than 14 million customers through digital banking channels and its 255 business offices in Nigeria, as well as its United Kingdom subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited.
The bank has received several local and international recognitions, including the 2025 Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) Innovation Award for MSME Support; Best Retail and SME Bank Award from Independent Newspapers; Best Bank for Export and Trade Finance and Most Innovative Bank of the Year at the 2025 BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.
It was also named Nigeria’s Best Private Bank at the 2025 Euromoney Awards and received the inaugural Most Improved Commercial Bank of the Year award from Nairametrics, SME Bank of the Year award from NewsDirect and the Straight-Through Processing (STP) Excellence Award from Citi Group.
Additionally, Global Brands Magazine recognised the bank for Excellence in Community Empowerment.
