Atlanta Mayor has hailed Fidelity Bank’s FNITCC 2025 and push for stronger Nigeria–US Trade ties.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Fidelity Bank Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to empowering Nigerian businesses for global competitiveness at the 2025 Fidelity Nigeria International Trade & Creative Connect (FNITCC), held over the weekend in Atlanta, Georgia.
The event, now in its fourth year, brought together policymakers, business leaders, exporters, and investors from both Nigeria and the United States to deepen trade ties and spotlight Nigeria’s non-oil export potential.
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Fidelity’s Vision for Export Growth
In her welcome address, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Managing Director/CEO of Fidelity Bank, described FNITCC as a “strategic expression” of the bank’s mission to help diversify Nigeria’s economy.
“From day one, our goal has been to move Nigeria from an oil-dependent economy to a diversified, non-oil-driven one. Exports are central to this transformation,” she said.
She explained that FNITCC evolved from capacity-building programs for small businesses in partnership with Lagos Business School to now providing a global marketplace where Nigerian exporters meet international buyers face-to-face.
“Fidelity Bank has emerged as Nigeria’s leading bank in non-oil exports from agriculture,” she added, urging participants to leverage sideline regulatory sessions for compliance insights.
Atlanta Mayor Welcomes Africa Collaboration
Welcoming delegates, Mayor of Atlanta, Andre Dickens, applauded Fidelity Bank’s choice of Atlanta as host city, highlighting shared cultural and economic legacies between Africa and the city.
“This conference offers a platform for collaboration. From the legacies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela to our shared strengths in logistics, finance, technology, and the creative industries—we are building lasting networks, not just contacts,” Dickens said.
Lagos, Atlanta Explore Partnerships
A Lagos State delegation also visited the Georgia State Capitol, where Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu pitched Lagos as open for investment and proposed a sister-city framework to strengthen ties between Lagos and Atlanta.
Trade, Deals, and Recognition
The third Atlanta edition of FNITCC featured exhibitions, panel sessions, deal rooms, and a gala dinner, with discussions focused on unlocking Nigeria’s non-oil exports for the U.S. market.
Fidelity Bank, with more than 9.1 million customers across Nigeria and the UK, continues to earn accolades for its role in digital banking and SME financing. Its recent awards include Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria (Euromoney Awards 2024) and Export Financing Bank of the Year (BAFI Awards 2024).
