As part of its commitment to empowering women with essential entrepreneurship skills, leading financial institution Fidelity Bank Plc partnered with ImpactHER to conduct another round of free digital and Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills training for businesswomen. The training, organized by ImpactHER, took place from Monday, August 19, to Friday, August 23, 2024, and successfully trained 1,276 women entrepreneurs in digital and AI competencies.
Highlighting the significance of the training in line with Fidelity Bank’s strategic objectives, Osita Ede, Divisional Head of Product Development at Fidelity Bank Plc, stated, “Available data shows that women-led small businesses account for over 40% of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria. This underscores the critical role female entrepreneurs play in driving economic growth.”
“At Fidelity Bank, we believe that equipping female entrepreneurs with the necessary skills to run successful businesses will significantly contribute to personal growth, business success, and overall economic prosperity, in line with our mandate,” he added.
The online training, delivered by ImpactHER, covered various topics on leveraging technology to enhance business success. Some of the sessions included “Getting Started with Email Marketing,” “Harnessing AI for Content Creation as a Small Business Owner,” and “Branding and Positioning.”
Efe Ukala, Founder of ImpactHER, emphasized the importance of providing free training: “Statistically, women and girls are 25% less likely to leverage digital technology for basic tasks, four times less likely to know how to program computers, and 13 times less likely to file for technology patents.
This highlights the need to equip African women with digital skills that can help scale their businesses. Data shows that Africa could add 180 billion dollars to its GDP by 2025 if we close the e-commerce digital gap. By offering this training for free and collaborating with supporters like Fidelity Bank, we aim to make these crucial skills accessible to women entrepreneurs who can drive this economic growth.”
This collaboration underscores Fidelity Bank and ImpactHER’s shared commitment to offering high-quality, free training to women entrepreneurs. By combining ImpactHER’s expertise with Fidelity Bank’s network and support for small businesses, the program aims to create a lasting impact on the business community.
Participants praised the program’s practical approach and the immediate applicability of the skills they learned. The success of this initiative lays the foundation for future collaborations aimed at empowering more women entrepreneurs across Nigeria through accessible, free training programs. With the August 2024 cohort, the total number of women entrepreneurs trained through this partnership has reached 5,719.
Ranked as one of the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank is a full-fledged commercial bank serving over 8.3 million customers through 251 business offices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, as well as through its digital banking channels.
The bank has received numerous local and international accolades, including Export Finance Bank of the Year at the 2023 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards, Best Payment Solution Provider Nigeria 2023, Best SME Bank Nigeria 2022 by the Global Banking and Finance Awards, Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2023, and Best Domestic Private Bank in Nigeria by the Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards 2023.
