Fidelity Bank’s Food Bank Initiative Brings Relief to Women, Youths in Kogi State

Fidelity Bank’s Food Bank Initiative Brings Relief to Women, Youths in Kogi State

By Prince Benson Davies
Publisher, The New Experience Newspaper

More than 1,000 households in Kogi State have received food support from Fidelity Bank Plc as part of efforts to cushion the effects of rising food costs and economic hardship in the state.

The distribution took place at the Youth Centre in Lokoja under the bank’s Fidelity Food Bank Initiative. It brought together government officials, traditional stakeholders, bank representatives and community members for the exercise aimed at reaching women, youths and vulnerable families.

Speaking at the event, Mrs. Blessing Onwumere, Regional Bank Head, North Central II, Fidelity Bank Plc, said the programme was designed to complement government efforts in tackling food insecurity. She explained that since the initiative began in April 2023, the bank has extended support to hundreds of thousands of Nigerians across different states. According to her, the intervention reflects the bank’s conviction that corporate institutions must play an active role in improving the living conditions of host communities.

“This outreach in Lokoja is not just about handing out food. It is about dignity, about ensuring that families have something on their tables, and about building stronger, more resilient communities,” Onwumere stated. She added that the bank values the partnership of local groups including the Abbasid Foundation and community leaders who helped mobilise beneficiaries.

Representing the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Engr. Yahaya Faruk, praised Fidelity Bank for the gesture. He described the intervention as timely and in line with the state government’s focus on welfare and poverty reduction. He urged other private sector players to emulate the bank by investing in programmes that directly impact citizens, particularly women and young people.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Aridaojo Monday Anyebe, said the initiative came at a time when many young people are struggling to meet basic needs. He noted that the food support would ease pressure on families and provide temporary relief while government continues to roll out long-term economic programmes. He expressed the state’s readiness to work with Fidelity Bank on future community projects.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke at the event expressed appreciation to the bank. Mrs. Zainab Abubakar, who received food items on behalf of her household, said it was the first time her family was benefiting from such an intervention. She prayed that the bank would continue to grow so it could reach more people in need.

The Fidelity Food Bank was launched in 2023 as one of the bank’s flagship Corporate Social Responsibility programmes. The initiative is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2, which seeks to end hunger and ensure food security.

Fidelity Bank Plc operates as a full-service commercial bank with over 10 million customers and 255 business offices across Nigeria. The bank also has a presence in the United Kingdom through FidBank UK Limited. It has in recent years received several awards for retail banking, SME support, trade finance and community development.

PHOTO CAPTION:
L-R: Incoming Vice Chairman, Lokoja LGA, Mrs Fatima Abdulkadir; Kogi State Project Coordinator, Nigeria for Women Project Scale-Up (NFWP-SU), Pastor Mrs. Esther Ameadaji; Hon. Commissioner for Water Resources, Kogi State, Engr. Yahaya Faruk; Branch Leader, Fidelity Bank Plc, Lokoja, Mr Nuhu Omale; and Commissioner for Youth & Sports Development, Kogi State, Hon. Aridaojo Monday Anyebe; during the Fidelity Food Bank Distribution exercise in Lokoja, Kogi State recently.