E-Financial
Ghana’s Fidelity Bank Seals 5 Year Deal with IBM
At the U.S. Africa Business Forum in Washington, D.C on Tuesday, Ghana’s Fidelity Bank announced its choice of IBM to manage its technology infrastructure and services.
The five year deal will help the bank deliver advanced customer services and secure its reputation as a dynamic financial services institution in West Africa.
Currently one of the largest banks in Ghana, Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited is seeking to enhance its operational efficiencies as it embarks on a new strategic direction, developing growth plans and strategies for new markets, products and services.
Fidelity Bank pioneered agency banking in Ghana, contracting third party retail networks called Fidelity Smart Agents to provide services on its behalf, with the objective of offering the full benefits of its services and products to the unbanked and under-banked in the country.
Fidelity Bank was licensed by the Bank of Ghana (BoG), the local industry regulator, in 2006; and has made tremendous strides in the past 7 years to become a Tier1 Bank.
The quality of its product offerings and its high professional standards has propelled its franchise into a leading Ghanaian brand.
The bank now has a balance sheet of approx. USD $1billion.
Fidelity Bank’s choice of IBM to manage the administration and governance of its technology assets and operations will further entrench its position as a leading, financial institution in West Africa.
The aim of the technology management services deal is to ensure stability in the bank’s operations nationwide and help drive its projected exponential growth, as it seeks to become one of Ghana’s top 3 banks in the next 5 years.
To support the bank’s goals, IBM will combine local and international expertise, including round-the-clock technical support from IBM’s international Global Delivery Centers to ensure the bank achieves cross-channel integration and a seamless customer experience across all its touch-points.
The IBM-managed services will cover a broad spectrum of the bank’s IT functions, including management of its server, security, storage, networks, end user services, branch IT support, ATM infrastructure support and datacenter services.
Ghana is one of Africa’s fastest growing economies, according to the World Bank.
“Our bank enjoys an exceptional reputation that results from the dedication and hard work of our employees and our incomparable products and services,” said Edward Effah, managing director, Fidelity Bank.
He added that, “In the rapidly changing Ghanaian banking industry, with far more players and competition than ever before, consumers are entitled to expect benchmark service and protection from these unique market challenges. It is my belief that our partnership with IBM will enable us to deliver and exceed these stakeholder expectations.”
The Ghanaian lender earlier chose IBM’s datacenter solution for a successful retooling and upgrade of its technology assets.
“The economy is going through a unique phase in its evolution and increasingly we are seeing that the appropriate deployment of technology solutions and services in the nation’s financial services sector will be key to boosting the growth momentum already achieved in the sector and by extension in the macro economic environment,” said Joe Mensah, country general manager, IBM Ghana.
The list of banks around the world turning to IBM for support continues to grow.
Whilst 70% of the world’s data is managed on IBM systems, 95 of the top 100 banks worldwide use IBM business or technology services to run their business.
IBM has also announced more than 20 banking deals throughout Africa over the last five years, with Kenyan, Ghanaian, Nigerian and Congolese banks turning to IBM for world-class IT solutions.
In Nigeria, IBM plays a significant role in the ongoing reforms in the financial services sector.
For instance, IBM said that 80% of Nigeria’s banks now run on its enterprise server architecture.
IBM has a long history in Africa, and is taking its role as a technology leader seriously, helping to boost the capacities of Africa’s people and institutions. Just last year, IBM opened its first African Research Laboratory, the 12th globally and part of IBM’s $6 billion annual spend on research alone.
In the past 5 years, the company has set up offices in Angola, Mauritius, Tanzania, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya and now has more than 20 subsidiaries on the continent.
“Changing economic conditions and oversight regulatory requirements are turning old arguments against outsourcing upside down as organizations seek ways to cut costs.
In West Africa, the need for organizations to focus on their core business competencies while outsourcing their IT challenges to a trusted third-party service provider, may be a game changer to reduce overall operating cost. Fidelity Bank’s decision to go with IBM in this huge IT Outsourcing deal will definitely send a strong signal to the banking sector that IT outsourcing is the way to go,” said Bola Adisa, country regional manager, IDC West Africa.
A robust IT operating environment managed by IBM will help Fidelity management concentrate on Business Strategy and enable the bank to pursue its aggressive growth strategies.
When people and businesses gain genuine access to financial services, they gain the ability to transact securely, build savings, and access credit. That access creates the conditions for progress: more stable revenues, better business decisions, and the capacity to grow. Progress, sustained over time, is what produces financial happiness. This framework is how Moniepoint measures its impact.
According to Moniepoint 2025 Impact Report, titled creating financial happiness; “Financial happiness is the feeling of confidence and ease that comes with financial freedom and well-being. It is a condition that develops over time and requires a specific set of enablers to take hold.
For millions of people and businesses across Nigeria, those enablers, like tools and solutions to manage their finances, have historically been out of reach. Moniepoint was built to change that, and this change, for us, begins with inclusion”.
Across the world, access to digital tools is a key driver of financial inclusion. The World Bank’s Global Findex 2025 report finds that more than 60% of adults in low- and middle income economies now make or receive digital payments. In Nigeria, this figure is around 54%. Moniepoint has been a key driver in expanding this access with its POS terminals. “Our terminals also drive financial inclusion for individuals.
The report stated that, in 2025, Moniepoint enabled 100 million people to make payments via their POS terminals across the country. For customers in communities where bank branches are scarce or non-existent, a Moniepoint terminal at their local shop, market stall, or fuel station provides reliable access to digital financial services.
They can make purchases, withdraw cash, and manage their money without travelling long distances or depending solely on physical currency. Critically, customers without cards can complete transactions through direct bank transfers to the terminal’s account.
Beyond practical benefits, Moniepoint terminals have also introduced a new layer of trust to everyday commerce. “When network issues make it unclear if a payment went through, the Moniepoint terminal’s loud beep provides instant confirmation for everyone, building trust in digital payments with every transaction”.
Moniepoint POS terminals operate across all 774 local governments in Nigeria, ensuring that small sellers and large stores can accept payments reliably, regardless of location.
In 2025, millions of Nigerians, businesses and individuals alike, accessed Moniepoint services through its mobile app. Top among them are groups like women and low-income earners, who have historically been excluded from formal banking. Inclusion of women is particularly important, as they typically manage household spending and informal savings but are frequently left out of structured financial systems. “Through our app, they are gaining financial independence and greater control over their economic decisions,” the report added.
For millions of Nigerians, debit cards represent a move away from the limits of cash transactions. They enable safer, more reliable everyday payments, particularly as more local businesses begin to accept digital payments.
Moniepoint debit cards are designed to meet this need. In 2025, Moniepoint customers completed over 300 million card transactions at physical locations, largely driven by essential, food-related purchases. Most of this spending took place at neighbourhood provision shops where households buy everyday items such as rice, cooking oil, and soap.
“We’ve made access to our cards intentionally simple. Customers can get a Moniepoint debit card by requesting it within their mobile app or from neighbourhood agents, without lengthy paperwork or waiting periods. By lowering these barriers, more people are able to access financial tools and participate in the formal financial system.
“Our cards also safeguard our customers’ financial information. They don’t carry special markings or any identifiers that could expose our customers or put their financial security at risk. In the event of loss, this reduces the likelihood of targeted fraud or misuse.
“When people can pay with their debit cards at their neighbourhood stores, they can manage their spending, reduce cash handling, and transact more securely. Merchants also benefit, recording higher transaction volumes and more consistent customer activity.
“Moniepoint helps millions of businesses and individuals across Nigeria access seamless payments and banking, every day. The widespread adoption of our tools and services, as highlighted, demonstrates our critical role in expanding financial access, supporting everyday commerce, and enabling more Nigerians to participate safely and consistently in the digital economy,” the report noted.
ChatPay has launched Africa’s conversational banking platform, enabling individuals and businesses to access financial services through WhatsApp.
The Lagos-based fintech startup, is in controlled rollout, connecting WhatsApp to linked-bank management, airtime and supported electricity payments through simple conversations.
The company said the platform is designed to enable users to send money, pay bills, buy airtime and manage business transactions within WhatsApp conversations, subject to the completion of regulatory approvals and integration with licensed banking partners.
According to ChatPay, the platform is operated by CP Technology Limited and is currently undergoing a phased rollout ahead of its planned public launch.
The company said the initiative is intended to simplify access to financial services by leveraging WhatsApp, which it estimates is used by more than 50 million Nigerians monthly.
Speaking on the idea behind the platform, Adeoluwasubomi Odebunmi, product lead and co-founder, said the concept emerged while she was studying Software Engineering at Babcock University.
“I saw the gap while I was still in school—how much friction there was just to move money. I didn’t want to just study the problem. I wanted to help fix it,” she said.
Odebunmi said she had previously worked on software solutions spanning e-commerce, real estate management, school administration and artificial intelligence applications before co-founding ChatPay.
Aseoluwa Siyanbola, growth lead and co-founder, said his experience managing Nigerian bank accounts while studying abroad highlighted some of the challenges users face with digital banking services.
According to him, difficulties such as one-time password (OTP) failures and inconsistent banking applications inspired the team to explore conversational banking solutions.
“We each encountered similar challenges and came together to build a solution that simplifies everyday financial transactions,” he said.
cAbraham William, tech lead and co-founder, said the company is focused on improving access to financial services through a platform that many Nigerians already use daily.
“We want to make financial services easier to access by allowing people to carry out transactions through a familiar messaging platform,” he said.
William said he oversees the company’s engineering, technology strategy and system architecture.
ChatPay said its services will be introduced in phases as regulatory requirements are met and integrations with banking partners are completed.
The company added that its newly launched “Founding 2,500” programme will enable selected early users to test features, provide feedback and participate in product development before the platform’s wider rollout.
According to the company, interested users can register for the waitlist and the Founding 2,500 programme through its website.
Founded by Odebunmi, Siyanbola and William, ChatPay said its long-term goal is to expand conversational banking services beyond Nigeria into other African markets after its domestic rollout.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has been named Nigeria’s Best Bank for Retail Banking and Best Bank for Sustainability Leadership (ESG) at the 2026 Euromoney Awards for Excellence, reinforcing its position as one of Africa’s leading financial institutions.
The awards were presented on July 17 at The Peninsula London in the United Kingdom, recognising financial institutions that have demonstrated outstanding performance, innovation, customer impact and sustainable banking practices.
The double recognition highlights UBA’s growing influence in retail banking and its commitment to advancing environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles across its operations.
According to Euromoney, UBA distinguished itself through a series of sustainability initiatives, including the introduction of a Green Financing Facility designed to support households and businesses transitioning to renewable energy.
The publication also cited the bank’s ₦5 billion financing programme, implemented in partnership with the Bank of Industry (BOI), to provide funding for women-owned businesses.
Euromoney further recognised UBA’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, describing it as a demonstration of the bank’s long-term sustainability strategy.
The publication also highlighted the bank’s efforts to integrate sustainability into its operations through the deployment of solar-powered energy solutions across 50 branches and comprehensive ESG capacity-building programmes that have trained more than 16,000 employees across the UBA Group.
In the retail banking category, Euromoney noted that UBA continued to consolidate its position as one of Africa’s largest retail banking institutions.
According to the publication, the bank expanded its customer base to more than 37 million by the end of 2025, while retail banking revenue increased more than fourfold to ₦429.5 billion.
The awards also recognised UBA’s continued investment in digital banking innovation, particularly enhancements to its artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, LEO.
Euromoney noted that LEO became Africa’s first AI-powered banking platform to facilitate cross-border money transfers in local currencies through the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS).
Commenting on the awards, UBA’s Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Oliver Alawuba, described the recognition as a validation of the bank’s commitment to delivering value to customers while promoting sustainable development across Africa.
“To be recognised as Nigeria’s Best Bank for both ESG and Retail Banking in the same year sends a powerful message that sustainable banking and commercial success are mutually reinforcing.
“At UBA, we are committed to financing Africa’s future, supporting businesses and communities, promoting financial inclusion, and delivering innovative banking solutions that improve lives.
“These awards belong to our customers for their confidence in us and to every member of the UBA family whose dedication continues to make our vision a reality,” he said.
Also speaking, UBA’s Group Head, Marketing, Brand and Corporate Communications, Mrs Alero Ladipo, said the awards reflected the bank’s unwavering commitment to putting customers at the centre of its operations.
According to her, every innovation, investment and banking solution introduced by UBA is aimed at creating exceptional value for customers while expanding access to financial services.
“These awards are a powerful affirmation of our Customer First philosophy.
“Whether it is supporting entrepreneurs with access to finance, enabling seamless digital payments, advancing clean energy financing or expanding financial inclusion across Africa, UBA remains focused on delivering meaningful impact.
“We are honoured that one of the world’s most respected financial publications has recognised these efforts,” she said.
UBA currently operates in 20 African countries, as well as the United Kingdom, United States, France and the United Arab Emirates, serving more than 45 million customers through a combination of digital banking platforms and physical branch networks.
The bank said it remains committed to strengthening financial inclusion, driving innovation and supporting sustainable economic development across Africa and beyond.
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