Fidelity Bank, Ghana’s largest privately-owned indigenous bank, has entered into a partnership with the Advisory Unit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The partnership seeks to create nationwide culture of sustainability among various business and commerce sectors, as well as societies to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs in Ghana.

The two parties would work together to reduce carbon footprint in the country, incorporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles on energy and resource-use efficiencies, and gender diversity in lending, and credit management practices.

To this end, they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at a brief ceremony held in Accra to signify their mutual commitment towards the promotion of sustainability-consciousness across various sectors of the country, an official statement issued to the Ghana News Agency said on Monday.

The Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Mr Julian Opuni, signed the agreement on behalf of the Bank, while the Presidential Advisor on SDGs, Dr Ernest Owusu, did so for the SDGs Advisory Unit.

Speaking after the MOU signing event, Mr Opuni, said the move underscored Fidelity Bank’s commitment in making sustainability a core facet of the Bank’s strategy for 2023 and beyond.

He explained that through the partnership, they would contribute to a greener, more equitable, and sustainable world by driving positive change in critical developmental areas, including entrepreneurship, sustainable finance, education, environmental protection, financial inclusion, food security, and gender equity.

“As a financial institution, we are acutely aware of our critical role in ensuring a sustainable future for our planet, communities, and the economy,” the Managing Director said.

He explained that the Bank had integrated ESG concepts into all aspects of their operations and continued to make significant strides in their sustainability journey.

“We are thus delighted to concretise our partnership with the SDGs Advisory Unit today in our bid to drive widespread adoption of sustainable practices across diverse sectors and groupings in Ghana and beyond,” Mr Opuni said.

Mrs Nana Yaa Ofori-Koree, the Head of Partnerships, Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility at Fidelity Bank, said the bank, through the partnership, would develop financing solutions to drive economic growth, safeguard the environment and promote social progress.

She said the Bank would also support economic empowerment for the youth, women and vulnerable target groups, and increase access to quality education by providing learning and teaching materials, and improving school infrastructure.

“With the aid of our partners from the SDGs Advisory Unit, we are confident of attaining all these goals and more importantly supporting and inspiring other organisations and groupings to do likewise,” she said.

Dr Owusu, said the partnership between the two parties demonstrated a pivotal step in their journey towards achieving a sustainable and inclusive development.

It also formed part of their committed efforts in contributing to progress within local communities, and on the global front.

He said, henceforth, Fidelity Bank would play a key role in policy dialogues initiated by the SDGs Advisory Unit, leveraging its financial insights and expertise to influence the formulation of impactful sustainable development policies at both the local and global levels.

The Bank has spearheaded a variety of nationwide initiatives primarily to promote Quality Education (SDG 4), Gender Equality (SDG 5) and Climate Change (SDG 13), which benefited approximately some 12,000 individuals.

It covers the Orange Impact – the Bank’s ongoing flagship CSR programme in education, which has culminated in the construction of an ultra-modern school facility for the pupils of Duose DA Primary School in Duose, Wa, and Fodome, Volta Region.

Other ongoing projects include the Bank’s Employee Volunteering Programme (EVP), Touching the Lives of Girls Summit, a forum to educate and empower young girls. 

About Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited

In a little over a decade, Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited has grown from a discount house to a Tier-1 Bank and is now Ghana’s largest privately-owned Bank. The bank currently serves its approximately two million customers in 75 branches across Ghana and is a leader in the digital banking space. The bank has two subsidiaries, Fidelity Asia Bank Limited, which is a wholly owned subsidiary in Malaysia and Fidelity Securities Limited, an asset management firm.