The Fidelity Bank Ghana has concluded its third annual Sustainability Conference with a landmark commitment of over GH₵500,000 to empower some creative entrepreneurs.
Ms Julian Opuni, the Managing Director of the Bank, said the financial support was to ensure sustainable development and growth of the beneficiaries’ businesses.
“It is not easy to pitch a dream in eight minutes and defend it before a panel. The journey to this stage has been rigorous, and every finalist deserves recognition,” she said.
“This is why we made sure no one left without support, because we believe in the potential of every creative entrepreneur who made it this far.”
The sustainability conference, held in Accra, was to, among other things, crown the winners of the Bank’s highly anticipated ‘Orange Inspire Creative Challenge’.
Love Ankara was named the overall winner, receiving GH₵150,000 in funding.
The Church of Stories and Stay by Plan were awarded GH₵100,000 each to scale their ventures, while Abrita Holdings and GRC Concepts also received a significant boost with GH₵50,000 each.
Ms Opuni announced that the remaining three finalists, Fashion Xcel, O Games Studio, as well as Experience Africa VR, would each receive GH₵25,000, ensuring every one of the eight finalists was recognised and supported for their hard work and dedication.
Zia Choudhury, the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in Ghana, commended the Bank’s role in aligning its operations with global sustainability standards.
He specifically praised the bank for signing the UN Principles for Responsible Banking and joining UNEP’s Finance Initiative.
“Fidelity Bank’s leadership does show what’s possible. Its growing green portfolio offers very practical solutions, such as concessional loans, supporting the adoption of electric vehicles and financing renewable energy systems for schools and hospitals.
“These actions demonstrate that climate action and business success can go hand in hand,” the UN Resident Coordinator noted.
The overall winner of the competition, Maame Efua Tandoh of Love Ankara, expressed profound gratitude to Fidelity Bank for the life-changing opportunity.
“First of all, I want to say a big thank you to God because this has been a journey. It started eight years ago.
“It is not easy looking for funding as a creative entrepreneur. I have been through many programmes, but this has been quite a defining one for all of us.
“We are going to be ambassadors for Fidelity Bank, and we are going to run with the education, the knowledge, and the training that you have given us. We are going to do more than this,” she assured.
Nana Yaa Afriyie Ofori-Koree, the Head of Partnership, Sustainability and CSR at Fidelity Bank, said the conference was a commitment to action, not just talk.
She underscored the Bank’s commitment to doing business with the upcoming launch of Fidelity 2026-2030 Sustainability Strategy, solidifying its role as a key partner in Ghana’s green transition.
The conference was organised in partnership with UN Ghana, the Institute of Sustainability Professional Ghana, Joy FM, Joy Business, and The Palms by Eagles.
It brought together key stakeholders from various sectors to deliberate on the theme: “Aligning Finance with Climate Action”.
Panel discussions throughout the conference touched on many issues, including how Ghana was actively laying the groundwork for scalable climate finance, and aligning with global standards.
It also espoused efforts to position Fidelity Bank as a “climate finance champion” ready to drive investor confidence in Ghana’s green transition.
The discussions reinforced the need for resilience, highlighting that climate finance must be anchored on real-economy outcomes and supported by banks that can help businesses to become investor-ready through ESG frameworks and data-driven insights.
