Fidelity Bank Lights Up Anambra Fashion Expo – Provides training on accessing foreign markets to participants

Nigeria’s quest to become a leading exporter of finished fashion goods received a major boost recently as leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, collaborated with several stakeholders to host the Anambra Fashion Expo 2022.

The event which held at the International Conference Center, Awka, Anambra State on Friday, 16 September 2022, hosted over 800 walk-in guests, 35 fashion designers, 100 exhibitors as well as virtual attendees. The event, which is the maiden edition, was themed “In Between Time for All Times”.

Speaking at the event, Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo said, “What you people have done tonight is great. This has shown that Anambra is home of creativity.

We did not put a dime in this event that you all have witnessed today. The organisers told us about it, but we said we did not have money. I saw how they sweated, looking for sponsors, but from what we have seen today, especially the ingenuity showcased by various brands from Anambra, we will support this event to hold annually.”

One of the highpoints of the event was the masterclass facilitated by Nduka Udeh, Managing Director/CEO of Export and Sell LLC, where attendees were guided through the process of developing the necessary competence for selling to the international market and earning foreign exchange.

“As one of the leading banks in the exports space, we felt the need to help attendees at the Anambra Fashion Expo to develop the capacity to compete on the global stage. That is why we brought our partner, Export and Sell LLC to walk participants through the nitty gritty of preparing the correct documentation required to export to the United States of America (USA), how to find buyers, how to list products and sell on Amazon, the various licenses needed amongst other aspects of exporting,” commented Divisional Head, Brand and Communications, Fidelity Bank Plc, Dr Meksley Nwagboh.

The event also featured a panel discussion on helping entrepreneurs scale their businesses. One of the panelists and branch leader Fidelity Bank, Nkwo Nnewi branch, Mr Ndubuisi Achebe said the bank was moved to sponsor the event as it is a devoted supporter of youth-friendly initiatives and small businesses.

“We are always excited to see how we can help people grow their businesses. When you come to Fidelity Bank, you will be advised on the right financial products and how to get loans. That is why we have won the award of the best SME-friendly bank in Nigeria for several years running,” emphasised Achebe.

It would be recalled that Fidelity Bank has championed several initiatives to help local businesses play on the global stage and attract foreign exchange earnings. For instance, its Export Management Programme (EMP), which was launched in 2016 and is hosted in partnership with the Lagos Business School and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), equips participants with requisite knowledge for driving non-oil exports. The bank also launched the CBN RT200 FX Policy Sensitisation series in February 2022 to highlight opportunities for importers looking to pivot to exporting with the aid of the policy.

Fidelity Bank is a full-fledged commercial bank operating in Nigeria with about six million customers who are serviced across its 250 business offices and digital banking channels. The bank was recently recognized as the Best SME Bank Nigeria 2022 by the Global Banking & Finance Awards and in 2021, the bank won the awards of the “Fastest Growing Bank” and “MSME & Entrepreneurship Financing Bank of the Year” at the 2021 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.