Fidelity Bank Backs Youth Businesses & Inclusive Finance at 2025 Ghana-EU Forum

• Fidelity Bank Ghana reaffirmed its commitment to supporting youth-led businesses and providing inclusive financing
• The statement was made by Wholesale Banking's Deputy Managing Director, Kwabena Boateng
  
   

At the 2025 Ghana-European Union Business Forum, Kwabena Boateng, Deputy Managing Director of Wholesale Banking at Fidelity Bank Ghana, reaffirmed the bank's dedication to supporting inclusive financing and empowering youth-driven enterprises. Bringing together leaders from the finance and enterprise sectors, the event's theme was "Fostering Collaboration between Ghanaian and European Entrepreneurial Ecosystems – Investing in Young Businesses in Ghana under the EU Global Gateway Strategy."

Boateng emphasized Fidelity Bank's robust support for SMEs and young entrepreneurs during a panel discussion. Through programs like the Orange Corners Innovation Fund, he highlighted the bank's collaborations with the EU and development finance institutions (DFIs), including the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.

This fund supports promising projects with grants and low-interest loans up to €50,000. The fund is managed by Fidelity, with partners like Growth Africa providing crucial mentorship, market access, and training.

Fidelity Bank also manages a number of other programs, such as the Fidelity Young Entrepreneurs Initiative, which provides funding and structured mentoring, and the Orange Summit, a biannual entrepreneurship training event. Young business owners can sell their goods and get recognition at the Orange Market.

Other programs that Fidelity Bank manages include the Fidelity Young Entrepreneurs Initiative, which provides funding and structured mentoring, and the Orange Summit, a biannual entrepreneurship training event. Young business owners use the Orange Market as a venue to market and sell their goods.

Additionally, Boateng highlighted the bank's collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation, which has contributed GH¢57 million in funding over the previous 18 months. More than 21,000 smallholder farmers have benefited from this funding, which has also helped sustain over 11,000 jobs and create 12,000 new ones.

Regarding gender parity, Boateng emphasized the significance of purposeful assistance for women-owned enterprises. Women and young people are the focus of programs like Orange Corners and the Bridge-in-Agriculture initiative, which offer interest rates as low as 5-7 percent and 20 percent less collateral.

Internally, Fidelity Bank adheres to the same ideals, putting in place gender equality initiatives that complement Bank of Ghana's sustainability tenets. The bank also collaborates with organizations like Accion, Value for Women, and the Coca-Cola Foundation to enhance its operations and culture. As a signatory to the UN Global Compact, Fidelity Bank remains committed to taking the lead in promoting gender equality and sustainable entrepreneurship in Ghana.