Fidelity Bank Reaffirms Support for Digital Innovation in Africa

Leading financial institution -Fidelity Bank PLC -has restated its devotion to support the development of the African technology sector to actualize its potentials. This was revealed at the Africa Technology Expo (ATE 2024) which took place over the weekend.

Held at the Landmark Event Center, Victoria Lagos, the well-attended event provided an avenue for African businesses to display their creativity and gain opportunities in the competitive tech industry.

In her keynote speech at the event, Dr Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe,OON, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, stated that Fidelity Bank is rapidly implementing a digital-based retail-banking strategy by creating an SME business hub to facilitate networking and collaboration among startups, content creators and other digital entrepreneurs.

“At Fidelity Bank, we are convinced that Africa can be the hub of emerging technology and we encourage stakeholders to close ranks to tackle the two main constraints to start-ups tech growth, namely: lack of investment -an internal issue, and inadequate support -an external issue.

“This informs our decision to partner with SPARK Africa and other stakeholders to host the African Technology Expo -a platform for start-ups and participants to meet with investors, growth partners and network amongst leaders in the industry. We are convinced that the 2024 edition can kickstart Africa’s Digital transformation and spur growth across communities and economies. Fidelity Bank seeks to water the seeds for this Digital transformation and we are delighted to host tech start-ups aligned with this purpose”, explained Dr Onyeali-Ikpe, who was represented by the bank’s Executive Director and Chief Risk Officer, Mr. Kevin Ugwuoke.

Speaking earlier at the event, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Commissioner for Innovation, Science, and Technology in Lagos State, Olatubosun Alake, highlighted the State’s intervention in the technology and innovation industries while acknowledging the role of tech startups in driving economic growth and social development.

On his part, the Chief Innovation Officer of the Africa Technology Expo, Nnaemeka Clinton, pointed to the commendable growth and innovation within the African tech industry in his welcome address, noting that, “From the wider tech landscape of the African continent to the busy hubs of Accra and Lagos, we have witnessed relentless innovation that is shaping our future.”

He acknowledged the challenges faced by startups, including competition and the need for more support, but stressed the resilience and potential of African tech entrepreneurs.

Ranked as one of the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank is a full-fledged commercial bank with over 8.3 million customers serviced across its 251 business offices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom as well as on digital banking channels.

The bank has won multiple local and international awards including the Export Finance Bank of the Year at the 2023 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards, the Best Payment Solution Provider Nigeria 2023 and Best SME Bank Nigeria 2022 by the Global Banking and Finance Awards; Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2023; and Best Domestic Private Bank in Nigeria by the Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards 2023.

*Faith Meets Football: How Primate Ayodele’s Prophecies Have Influenced Nigerian Sports

Before now, there has never been any accepted relationship between football and faith. Both phenomena were considered as opposite sides and were never accepted to exist together. People have always held the opinion that God has no business with sport and in the case, football, until popular Nigerian prophet, Primate Ayodele proved otherwise.

Primate Ayodele, the Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, is known for his prophecies on different sectors and unlike others in the prophetic ministry, the cleric captures education, government, politics, religion, traditional institutions, sports and many other sectors in his prophecies. In his prophecies about sports, he speaks on football, boxing, wrestling, etc. and truthfully, many of his prophecies on these subjects have come to pass.

Most especially in the Nigerian football system, Primate Ayodele has been duly recognized as the only prophetic voice that accurately gives divine revelations, counsel and prophecies about coaches, players, NFF presidents and tournaments from time to time. His impact is well-known among stakeholders in the football system and this is why the current NFF president, Ibrahim Gusau, despite being a Muslim, has established a relationship with the prophet after he accurately foretold his emergence as President when he wasn’t even planning to contest.

One major thing Primate Ayodele is known for is that he doesn’t prophesy to please anyone, no matter how close you are to him, he would say it as he received it from the throne of heaven and it is on the premise that he warned the NFF president before the last AFCON which was cheaply took away from the Super Eagles and more recently, the choice of Finidi George as the coach.

In 2023, during an event to celebrate his annual thanksgiving, Primate Ayodele publicly assured the NFF president who was in attendance that the Super Eagles will reach the final stage of the AFCON tournament and if they can listen, Nigeria has all it takes to lift the cup. However, he later advised the federation to change the coach and warned against using some players during the tournament. Unfortunately, his warnings were not adhered to and this cost the country victory at the finals.

On Finidi George, Primate Ayodele in a viral video mentioned that the ex-eagles player will be a disaster to Nigeria’s football. He made it known that the choice of Finidi George will put Nigeria’s football in shambles and his administration will not be any good to the country. These revelations were made before Finidi George had any major match and surprisingly, the prophetic revelation of Primate Ayodele came to pass at the very first major outing of Finidi George and this led to his disgraceful resignation, making his administration one of the shortest Nigeria has ever had.

Beyond Super Eagles, Primate Ayodele’s prophetic prowess transcends into the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) as his prophecies about the just concluded 2023/2024 season have been fulfilled. In November 2023, He prophesied the fate of some clubs including Abia Warriors and Doma FC.

For Abia Warriors, Primate Ayodele revealed that the club will not win the first to third position while Doma FC will not have a good outing.

These were his words:

‘’Abia warriors might not be able to make 1st to 3rd in this season.’’

‘Doma FC will not have a good outing this season. They will have a series of troubles, confusion and they need to be careful.’

Just as he revealed, Abia warriors finished 12th and Doma FC got relegated.

With his antecedents, Primate Ayodele has been able to establish that God is interested in every area of man’s life and that there is a place of faith or religion in every man’s dealings.

Cholera Outbreak: Lagos Assembly Seeks Improved Enlightenment Campaign

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday called on the relevant offices of the government to embark on massive enlightenment of the residents on the best ways to curtail the spread of cholera in the state.

This was as the House also called for the activation of some sections of the State health law to combat the health emergency which is said to have spread across some local governments leading to the death of 29 people as at Monday.

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, who presided over the sitting, further called for investigation into the source of the bacteria disease outbreak to enable the government strategise better in its bid for a solution.

“We must encourage the government to continue to sensitise the people in every language that is spoken in Lagos,” Dr. Obasa said while supporting the calls by his colleagues for the authorities to maintain drainages and canals and ensure proper sewage systems.

Raising a motion on the matter earlier, the chairman of the health committee of the House, Hon. Lawal Aina Musbau, moved that the government should urgently mobilise resources and personnel to combat the disease.

Among other demands, he said there was a need for the education of residents with emphasis on basic cleanliness while calling on sanitation officers to ensure they carry out their jobs effectively.

On their parts, Hon. Sa’ad Olumoh and Gbolahan Yishawu, urged that more attention should be on the provision of drinkable water to the residents of the state as this is one way to check the spread or reoccurrence of the disease.

Eromosele Ebhomele
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.