E-Financial
Fidelity Bank Prioritises Host Community’s Health, Wellbeing with Laudable CSR Initiatives
Excellent healthcare indisputably ranks high on the list of important requirements for sustained human existence and various nations are prioritising the provision of adequate healthcare for their citizens.
In fact, the United Nations succinctly captures this in its Sustainable Development Goal 3 with the objective to Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
Due to several factors however, Nigeria has consistently fallen behind on key indices for measuring progress on this all-important goal. For instance, 814 pregnant women lose their lives per 100,000 live births in the country with Nigeria (and India) accounting for about 34% of global maternal deaths.
Also, about 57 babies are lost to the cold hands of death for 1,000 live births in the country. These are startling statistics and an urgent call for attention to the nation’s ailing healthcare sector.
Keen to contribute its quota towards addressing this worrying development, foremost banking institution -Fidelity Bank Plc -is providing succor for vulnerable members of the populace through its extensive, life-changing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) campaigns specifically in the area of upgrading healthcare centres in various communities in the past few months.
For instance, through its Fidelity Helping Hands Programme (FHHP), the tier two lender completed the renovation of the Ugwuike Health Centre – a primary health care centre in Iwollo, Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State -in April 2021.
The bank renovated the wards and other critical facilities at the health care centre in addition to donating items such as beds, delivery couches, drug preservation equipment, electrical fittings, amongst others.
A similar gesture was replicated at Onikan Health Centre in Lagos, where the Bank through the FHHP renovated the centre’s maternity wards and other buildings by providing floor tiles, plumbing work, medical equipment and other items, as well as repairing old and faulty air conditioners in addition to building a nurse’s workstation.
Shedding light on the bank’s intervention in the health space, Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe said, “There is no gainsaying our healthcare system is in urgent need of support as anyone who has had cause to visit any of our primary healthcare facilities would attest to this.
“While we are given to delivering impeccable financial performance, as a responsible corporate organisation we are also mindful of the wellbeing and health of our host communities.
“We have therefore taken it upon ourselves as an institution to help with improving the state of healthcare facilities through our Fidelity Helping Hands Programme in true reflection of the age-old adage that health is wealth.”
In a nation with a burgeoning youth population (at least 46 percent of Nigerians are children under the age of 15years), it is saddening to note that a large percentage of these children are homeless.
Presently, over 8 million orphaned children exist in Nigeria, many of whom live in unsafe places such as beneath bridges, at railway stations and markets. A related statistics show that over 10 million Nigerian children are out of school despite being of legal school age. Orphanages offer some of these children the chance for a better life.
To show support for children living in such conditions, Fidelity Bank took its CSR initiatives a step further with a celebration of children at the Heritage Home Orphanage in Lagos in May 2021.
At the event, which will forever be etched in the children’s positive memories, inductees of the bank’s Experienced Hire programme donated several food items and domestic materials to assist the orphanage in caring for them.
To address the challenges facing the nation’s health sector, well-meaning organisations will need to play an active role in supporting the sector through compassionate interventions as it is being demonstrated by Fidelity Bank. Only then will the terrifying infant and maternal mortality statistics mentioned at the beginning of this article become a thing of the past.
PalmPay, a leading digital banking platform in Africa has announced the launch of strategic partnerships with top-tier insurance providers to offer accessible, affordable and simplified insurance products directly within the PalmPay app.
This initiative reflects the brand’s continued commitment to deepening financial inclusion and underscores its mission to improve the wellbeing of everyday Nigerians.
With only about 8.9% of Nigerians currently covered by any form of health insurance, the country remains one of the least insured populations in Africa. Barriers such as low awareness, affordability challenges, and trust issues continue to hinder broader adoption of insurance products.
PalmPay’s new insurance offering directly addresses these challenges by simplifying the purchase and management of insurance policies within the app. The PalmPay insurance feature is designed to make essential coverage, from health to device, and life insurance easily accessible at affordable prices, eliminating the traditional complexities often associated with insurance.
“Insurance is often perceived as complex or inaccessible, especially among underserved communities.” said Habib Kowontan, Head of Wealth Product at PalmPay. “Through these partnerships, we aim to break down those barriers by offering simple, reliable and affordable insurance options that are easily accessible within the PalmPay app.”
With over 35 million users across Nigeria, PalmPay continues to evolve as a smart, consumer-first digital banking platform. The integration of insurance services complements its growing suite of offerings, which includes transfers, bill payments, high-interest savings, and debit card services, making PalmPay one of the most comprehensive digital banking platforms in the African market.
“Our goal at PalmPay is to remove barriers and make essential services easily accessible to everyone,” said Mr Chika Nwosu, Managing Director of PalmPay. “Through these strategic partnerships, we’re expanding our services to be more inclusive and empowering our users with products that will positively impact their lives and finances.”
This rollout marks a significant milestone in PalmPay’s broader strategy to empower users with tools that enhance their daily lives. Building not just a payments app, but a smart and trusted financial partner for millions of Nigerians.
In a timely gesture aimed at improving the plight of internally displaced persons (IDP) in Benue State, leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, has distributed mattresses and essential food items to over 2,000 victims of the Yelwata attacks currently taking refuge at the Ultra-Modern International Market IDP Camp in Makurdi.
Team Lead, CSR, Fidelity Bank Plc, Victoria Abuka (Left); CEO, The Abbasid Charity Foundation, Hauwa Abbas (Centre); and Branch Leader, Fidelity Bank Plc, Makurdi, Terwase (Right), representing the Regional Bank Head, North Central, Sadi Zawiya, with some beneficiaries during the Fidelity Food Bank distribution event in Makurdi, Benue State recently.
The donation, which was carried out in collaboration with the Abbasid Charity Foundation, is part of Fidelity Bank’s ongoing commitment to supporting vulnerable communities through its flagship Fidelity Food Bank program. Since its launch in April 2023, the Food Bank has distributed over 200,000 food packs to beneficiaries across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.
Speaking about the donation event, the bank’s Divisional Head, Brand and Communications, Dr. Meksley Nwagboh reaffirmed Fidelity Bank’s dedication to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its mission to uplift communities.
His words, “Since its launch, the Fidelity Food Bank initiative has helped to alleviate the effect of poverty and malnutrition across the country. We are honored to be back in Benue State to continue this impactful initiative, and we hope that today’s donation brings much-needed relief and comfort to the beneficiaries during this difficult time”.
In her remarks, the Executive Officer, the Abbasid Charity Foundation, Mrs. Hawa Abbas, emphasized the importance of restoring dignity to the displaced, stating that the donation of mattresses was to ensure the IDPs no longer sleep on bare floors.
“This gesture is our way of letting the displaced persons know that they are not forgotten. We care deeply for them, and we hope this donation offers some comfort and hope, even in these difficult circumstances,” Abbas noted.
The Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr. James Iorpuu, who was represented by Camp Manager, Mr. Robert Nyom, expressed deep appreciation to Fidelity Bank and the Abbasid Charity Foundation for their timely support.
“Your intervention has brought much-needed relief to the camp and we thank you for your compassion and generosity towards improving the welfare of the displaced persons,” he said.
The bank’s outreach to the International Market IDP Camp in Makurdi represents the most recent of its ongoing critical and timely interventions. Previously, through its Food Bank Initiative, the bank provided essential food items to more than 1,500 residents impacted by the recent flood disaster in Mokwa, Niger State.
Ranked among the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank Plc is a full-fledged Commercial Deposit Money Bank serving over 9.1 million customers through digital banking channels, its 255 business offices in Nigeria and United Kingdom subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited.
The Bank is the recipient of multiple local and international Awards, including the 2024 Excellence in Digital Transformation & MSME Banking Award by BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards; the 2024 Most Innovative Mobile Banking Application award for its Fidelity Mobile App by Global Business Outlook, and the 2024 Most Innovative Investment Banking Service Provider award by Global Brands Magazine. Additionally, the Bank was recognized as the Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence and as the Export Financing Bank of the Year by the BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.
US Secret Service has quietly seized nearly $400 million in digital assets over the past decade, amassing one of the world’s largest crypto cold wallets, Bloomberg reported at the weekend, citing people familiar with the matter.
The agency’s Global Investigative Operations Center (GIOC) has tracked funds through open-source tools, blockchain analysis, and patience, Jamie Lam, an investigative analyst with the US Secret Service, reportedly told law enforcement officials in Bermuda last month.
The agency’s crypto trove, much of which sits in a single cold-storage wallet, results from a string of investigations into scams. Scammers lure targets into seemingly legitimate crypto investment platforms in one typical scheme.
Victims often see initial profits before the sites vanish with their deposits.
“That’s how they do it,” Lam said. “They’ll send you a photo of a really good-looking guy or girl. But it’s probably some old guy in Russia.”
Lam’s team uses domain records, blockchain transactions, and VPN slip-ups to identify fraudsters. In one case, a cryptocurrency payment led investigators to another wallet. In another one, a brief VPN failure exposed an IP address, helping agents piece together the scam’s digital trail.
At the helm of the Secret Service’s crypto strategy is Kali Smith, who directs a team that has trained officials in over 60 countries to unmask online financial crimes.
The agency has focused on jurisdictions with weak oversight or programs selling residency to foreign nationals. “Sometimes after just a week-long training, they can be like, ‘Wow, we didn’t even realize that this is occurring in our country,’” Smith said.
The Secret Service’s work has uncovered scams ranging from romance-investment schemes to sextortion cases. One investigation involved an Idaho teenager who sent a nude photo to an online stranger. The scammer extorted $300 twice before the teen went to the police.
Analysts traced the payments through another coerced teenager acting as a money mule, leading to an account tied to nearly $4.1 million in transactions under a Nigerian passport.
British police arrested the suspected extortionist when he arrived in Guildford, England, where he remains in custody pending extradition.
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