Banking
Fidelity Bank, Linda Ikeji Plan Platform to Empower Women
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Efforts are being made by Fidelity Bank Plc and Linda Ikeji Blog (LIB) TV to create a long-term platform aimed to educate, support and empower women entrepreneurs in Nigeria.
Last week, the CEO of LIB TV, Ms Linda Ikeji, was at the head office of Fidelity Bank in Lagos on a courtesy call to the CEO of the financial institution, Mrs Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe.
During the visit, the duo not only explored business opportunities but discussed ways to lend their voice to the ongoing conversation about women empowerment.
The two beautiful amazons and consummate professionals in their respective fields of endeavour (banking and media) agreed that one of the best ways to develop the nation was to provide an avenue for women to thrive.
“Through strategic collaborations, we can set up a forum for young aspiring entrepreneurs to have a one-on-one interaction with successful career women in Fidelity Bank. This will provide them with the opportunity to ask questions and share their experiences,” Ms Ikeji said.
The media guru, while speaking on the importance of innovation in entrepreneurship, encouraged budding female entrepreneurs to stay ahead of their time by conducting research and identifying the needs of consumers.
She praised Fidelity Bank for organising women empowerment programmes, explaining that more Nigerian women need such platforms for motivation whilst believing that there is no limit to what they can achieve.
Ms Ikeji also used the occasion to express her confidence in management’s capacity to impact positively on the growth and development of women-owned businesses in Nigeria.
In her remarks, Mrs Onyeali-Ikpe, who was surrounded by top female management staff, applauded her guest’s efforts to empower young women, alluding to her 2017 initiative, which saw her tour secondary schools across the country teaching young girls about entrepreneurship. She expressed the willingness of the bank to collaborate with LIB TV for the betterment of female entrepreneurs.
The bank chief also used the opportunity to provide a detailed insight into her seven-point agenda, which is part of plans to ensure the bank achieves Tier-One status in Nigeria by 2025.
Speaking about the bank’s efforts to positively influence women in business, the Fidelity Bank boss stated that the company’s long-standing support for the growth of women-owned businesses in Nigeria stems from its recognition of women’s ability to effectively control the hem of affairs in business.
Whilst reiterating the bank’s passion for women empowerment, she said the lender has put in place necessary measures to improve gender equality and assist women in the bank’s workforce thrive effortlessly on the job.
One of these, she said, is the creation of a conducive workspace for all women by building a crèche for Fidelity women to enable them to take care of their children.
“Fidelity Bank is very concerned about the convenience of women in the workforce and I encourage that every work environment with mothers should have a crèche. We have just built a child-friendly environment and it would be unveiled very soon,” she said.
On a final note, Mrs Onyeali-Ikpe noted that female business owners and professionals must make it a point of duty to be consistent and tenacious to succeed in business.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An initiative known as Nigeria Lightning Rounds, designed to expand funding opportunities for Nigerian startups and small businesses by connecting founders with local and international investors, has been launched by ProvidusUnity Bank, in partnership with US-based global venture firm and accelerator, gener8tor.
Scheduled to be held on July 15, 2026, Nigeria Lightning Rounds will feature carefully selected startups engaging with targeted investors who have expressed interest in supporting Nigerian innovation.
Participating founders will have the opportunity to pitch their businesses through focused 15-minute virtual sessions facilitated by gener8tor and ProvidusUnity Bank’s networks.
The program will focus on high-growth sectors including fintech, healthtech, manufacturing, sustainability, and AI, but welcomes SMEs from all industries, with intending participants urged to apply via https://www.gener8tor.com/lightning-rounds/nigeria.
“We recognise that access to capital remains one of the biggest challenges facing entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Through our partnership with gener8tor, we are creating a platform that connects promising Nigerian founders with investors who can provide the support required to scale their businesses,” the Head of Business Development at ProvidusUnity Bank, Mr Ernest Elue, stated.
“The partnership reinforces ProvidusUnity Bank’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by supporting innovation, enabling access to opportunities, and creating pathways for businesses with high-growth potential,” he added.
Also commenting, the Director of Lightning Rounds at gener8tor, Ms Elizabeth Larios, said, “gener8tor is thrilled to partner with ProvidusUnity Bank to extend the Lightning Rounds model into Nigeria.
“This collaboration reflects our commitment to building equitable ecosystems and driving capital to the most promising and underrepresented entrepreneurs.”
Lightning Rounds are a signature initiative of gener8tor’s investment platform, which has facilitated thousands of investor-startup meetings globally. The format is optimised to eliminate friction, reduce bias in early-stage fundraising, and help founders secure capital from investors aligned with their mission and stage. gener8tor’s previous Lightning Rounds for Nigerian Founders in 2025 featured 18 participating Investors and led to 50 investment meetings facilitated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The verification of the depositors of the 46 microfinance banks, whose operating licenses were revoked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over a week ago, has commenced.
The exercise, aimed at refunding those whose funds were trapped in the small lenders, is being conducted by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).
In a statement on Thursday, the agency said its staff members have been positioned at the offices of the affected banks across the country to attend to depositors.
It was disclosed that depositors of the defunct banks, who had their Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) linked to their accounts in the failed banks, will be paid through their alternative accounts in existing banks.
However, depositors whose BVNs were not linked to their accounts in the failed banks have been encouraged to visit the affected banks’ offices with proof of account ownership, a passport photograph, verifiable means of identification (Driver’s Licence, Permanent Voter’s Card, International Passport or National ID Card) and BVN.
NDIC also stated that depositors can alternatively file their claims online through its website: www.ndic.gov.ng, to complete the Pre-Verification Claims Form by clicking on the Search Bar, and typing Pre-Verification Claims Form; opening the Form and filling in their details. They can also do so by clicking the link: https://ndic.gov.ng/ndic-pre-verification-claims-form/ or by visiting any of the NDIC offices closest to them to file their claims.
For further enquiries, the corporation can be reached on any of the following lines: 09037273810, 09038197064, 08104220807, 09064657140.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s Bank Verification Number (BVN) enrolment has slowed significantly in 2026 following the introduction of a stricter regulatory framework by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), with the latest data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) showing that registrations are on course to fall well below last year’s record.
The BVN database stood at 69.55 million as of July 5, 2026, up from 69.32 million in June, indicating that only 228,947 new registrations were recorded over the period. Since the end of 2025, when the database stood at 67.8 million, total enrolments have increased by 1.75 million.
At the current pace, however, BVN registrations are unlikely to match the 4.3 million new enrolments recorded in 2025, suggesting a sharp deceleration in growth this year.
The slowdown comes after the CBN introduced a revised BVN regulatory framework in March, with the new rules taking effect on May 1, 2026. The framework tightened controls around enrolment, identity verification and fraud monitoring as part of efforts to strengthen the integrity of the banking system.
Among the key changes was the introduction of a minimum enrolment age of 18 years, effectively preventing minors from registering for a BVN.
The new framework also limits customers to a one-time change of the phone number linked to their BVN and requires financial institutions to place BVNs linked to suspected fraudulent transactions on a temporary watch-list for up to 24 hours while investigations are carried out.
The stricter rules contrast with last year’s surge in registrations, which was largely driven by the introduction of the Non-Resident Bank Verification Number (NRBVN) initiative that enabled Nigerians in the diaspora to complete BVN enrolment remotely, removing physical barriers and expanding access to the financial system.
Launched on February 14, 2014, the BVN scheme was introduced by the CBN in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee, NIBSS and German technology firm Dermalog to assign every bank customer a unique biometric identity that can be verified across Nigeria’s banking industry.
