Leading financial institution –Fidelity Bank Plc – has once again demonstrated its devotion to boost the volume of non-oil exports in the country as it recently hosted entrepreneurs within the North-Central geopolitical zone of Nigeria to the 13th edition of its Export Management Programme (EMP 13) in Abuja.

The event which was a five-days intensive programme, held between Monday, 18 and Friday, 22 July 2022 at Novare Central, Wuse Zone 5 in the nation’s capital. It featured insightful presentations from leading experts in the nation’s export industry including regulators, academics and businessmen.

Speaking on the EMP, the Divisional Head, Export and Agriculture, Fidelity Bank Plc, Isaiah Ndukwe said, “We launched the EMP in 2016 with the objective of helping Nigerian businesses pivot to exports. Since then and in partnership with the Lagos Business School and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), we have hosted 12 editions of the training. We are delighted by the feedback from customers and non-customers that have benefited from the initiative especially the uptick in their business performance after participating in the programme.”

It would be recalled that Fidelity Bank launched a series of sensitization programmes to drive non-oil exports across the country in February this year. Tagged, “The CBN RT200 FX Sensitisation Seminar”, the workshops featured presentations from experts in the exports space on how businesses can take advantage of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) drive to raise $200billion in foreign exchange earnings in the next three to five years through non-oil exports. Till date, the bank has hosted the seminars in Kano, Akure, Jos and Benin-City -in partnership with the Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO) and GIZ.

“Just like our CBN RT200 FX Sensitisation seminars, our EMP initiative is driven by our vision of establishing exports as a strategic business pillar given the immense opportunities it bodes for our customers and the nation’s economy. We have therefore become the go-to bank for established and budding export businesses. Participants in EMP 13 have learnt how to list their products on global e-commerce platforms like Amazon, the necessary documentation for exports, how to take advantage of export-oriented policies, amongst a host of insightful discussions”, explained Ndukwe.

Making a case for Nigerian businesses to embrace non-oil exports at the opening ceremony of the training, Dr Ezra Yakusak, Executive Director/CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), who was represented by Mr Babatunde Falake, Director, International Export Office, NEPC said, “Recent developments in our national economy and indeed the global economy have made it clear to us that more emphasis should now be laid on export of our vast resources if we must survive as a nation. It is unfortunate that Nigeria, having been blessed with resources in agriculture, solid minerals, entertainment industry, creative arts, Information and Communication Technology, fashion and of course manufacturing, has continued to rely on export of crude oil as the major source of foreign exchange.”

The well attended capacity development programme also feature insightful discussions facilitated by officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) as well as excursions and networking sessions.

Fidelity Bank is a full-fledged commercial bank operating in Nigeria with over 6.5 million customers 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. The bank has also won awards for the “Fastest Growing Bank” and “MSME & Entrepreneurship Financing Bank of the Year” at the 2021 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.