Fidelity Bank Plc is set to convene entrepreneurs, business leaders, industry experts and other key stakeholders in Lagos for the latest edition of its Quarterly Business Forum, as the financial institution intensifies efforts to equip small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the knowledge, resources and strategies required to thrive in an increasingly competitive business environment.
The Lagos edition of the forum, themed “Built to Compete: Positioning Lagos Businesses for Sustainable Growth,” will provide a platform for participants to examine the opportunities and challenges confronting businesses in Nigeria’s commercial capital. Deliberations are expected to focus on critical areas including business competitiveness, access to finance, market expansion, innovation, digital transformation and long-term sustainability.
With Lagos serving as one of Nigeria’s major commercial and entrepreneurial hubs, the forum is expected to generate practical conversations around how businesses can strengthen their operations, respond to changing market conditions and take advantage of emerging opportunities. Participants will also explore strategies for building resilient enterprises capable of competing effectively in both local and international markets.
Speaking ahead of the event, the Divisional Head, SME Banking at Fidelity Bank Plc, Ugochi E. Osinigwe, said the initiative would deepen the Bank’s engagement with entrepreneurs while providing greater insight into the challenges and opportunities shaping their businesses.
According to Osinigwe, sustainable business success requires more than access to funding, stressing the importance of knowledge, proper structures, strategic planning and strong business networks. She explained that the Quarterly Business Forum was created to give entrepreneurs opportunities to learn from experienced business leaders, exchange ideas and identify practical solutions that can strengthen their operations and support sustainable expansion.
The Lagos forum builds on a series of SME-focused initiatives by Fidelity Bank, including business masterclasses and advisory programmes designed to help entrepreneurs improve their pricing strategies, embrace digital tools, strengthen organisational structures, expand into new markets and take advantage of trade opportunities. Through these interventions, the Bank continues to position capacity building and knowledge sharing alongside financing as key drivers of SME development.
The Quarterly Business Forum has also evolved into a strategic engagement platform connecting entrepreneurs with business leaders, policymakers and industry experts. By facilitating direct conversations and knowledge exchange, the initiative seeks to help business owners understand market trends, develop innovative approaches, overcome operational challenges and build enterprises that can remain competitive over the long term.
Fidelity Bank Plc, a full-fledged Commercial Deposit Money Bank, serves more than 10 million customers through its digital banking channels and 255 business offices across Nigeria, alongside its United Kingdom subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited. The Bank has continued to receive recognition for its contributions to banking, innovation and SME development, including the 2025 Development Bank of Nigeria Innovation Award for MSME support, Best Retail and SME Bank Award from Independent Newspapers, and multiple honours at the 2025 BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.
Other recent recognitions include the Best Bank for Export & Trade Finance and Most Innovative Bank of the Year awards at the 2025 BAFI Awards, Nigeria’s Best Private Bank at the 2025 Euromoney Awards, the inaugural Most Improved Commercial Bank of the Year award by Nairametrics, SME Bank of the Year by NewsDirect, and the Straight-Through Processing Excellence Award by Citi Group. The Bank was also recognised by Global Brands Magazine for Excellence in Community Empowerment, reinforcing its stated commitment to supporting businesses and communities through financing, capacity development, advisory services and strategic knowledge-sharing platforms.