Fidelity Bank Plc has announced its readiness to begin disbursement under the National Credit Guarantee Company’s (NCGC) N5 billion Credit Intervention Scheme, a programme designed to ease funding challenges faced by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), as well as women- and youth-owned businesses across Nigeria.
Speaking at the MoU signing between Fidelity Bank and NCGC, the bank’s Managing Director, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, said the partnership marks a major step in expanding financial inclusion and boosting economic participation through improved access to credit. She noted that the NCGC guarantee framework will enable the bank to extend financing to businesses traditionally excluded from formal lending, while maintaining strong risk standards.
The facility targets key productive sectors such as food processing, secondary agriculture including fish and poultry, fashion, green energy, light manufacturing, export-focused enterprises, and education. Onyeali-Ikpe highlighted Fidelity Bank’s ongoing commitment to sector-specific growth through initiatives like its Green Energy Financing Programme, the Fidelity SME Hub with its Creativerse arm for the creative industry, and the Education Support Scheme that funds infrastructure and digital upgrades for schools.
“With this partnership, we can now offer long-term credit to MSMEs, moving beyond short-term support to enable sustainable expansion,” she said. Over the past five years, Fidelity Bank has disbursed more than N500 billion to MSMEs, supporting thousands of entrepreneurs and creating jobs.
Managing Director of NCGC, Bonaventure Okhaimo, stressed that the institution was established to bridge the MSME financing gap by mitigating lending risks through credit guarantees. He noted that despite their contribution to GDP and employment, MSMEs often struggle to secure funding due to high perceived risk by lenders. Through this scheme, NCGC will share these risks with banks, making capital more accessible.
In addition to financing, the partnership will include financial literacy and business management training to help entrepreneurs properly manage funds and scale sustainably.
The Fidelity Bank–NCGC collaboration underscores a shared mission to strengthen MSMEs, foster entrepreneurship, and drive inclusive growth across Nigeria’s economy.
