By Ayomide Otitoju
Fidelity Bank Plc has reaffirmed its support for Nigeria’s beauty industry and women-owned businesses at the commemorative dinner and awards ceremony of Beauty in the Motherland 2026.
The event, held on October 6 at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, celebrated creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation across the beauty and lifestyle industry.
It formed part of the three-day Beauty in the Motherland 2026 programme, which attracted more than 3,000 attendees and over 300 exhibitors from the skincare, haircare, fragrance, cosmetics and wellness sectors.
Hosted by Nancy Isime and Enioluwa Adeoluwa, the dinner brought together entrepreneurs, industry leaders, investors, creatives and other stakeholders. Nigerian singer Yemi Alade also performed at the event.
A major highlight was the presentation of a special recognition award to Fidelity Bank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, in recognition of her leadership and the bank’s contribution to the growth of the beauty industry.
Onyeali-Ikpe said the bank’s sponsorship of the programme for the third consecutive year reflected its confidence in the industry’s potential and the entrepreneurs driving its growth.
She described the African beauty industry as vibrant, innovative and increasingly global, adding that Fidelity Bank would continue to support entrepreneurs with business knowledge, access to finance, new markets and opportunities to build sustainable enterprises.
Beyond sponsoring the event, the bank provided participating businesses with account-opening, payment and advisory services. It also served as the event’s exclusive point-of-sale (POS) provider, facilitating vendor transactions and encouraging the adoption of digital payment solutions.
The bank showcased products and services, including Fidelity POS Instant Settlement, PayGate Plus and SME accounts. Its representatives also engaged exhibitors on financial management, business expansion and banking solutions.
The event featured exhibitions, product showcases, competitions, networking sessions and business discussions, providing entrepreneurs with opportunities to promote their products, connect with customers and explore partnerships with distributors and investors.
The organisers, Beatrice Obinna Eneh and Linda Edozien, said the initiative was established to promote Africa’s beauty industry by strengthening its business ecosystem, empowering entrepreneurs and expanding market access.
Fidelity Bank supports small businesses through initiatives such as the Fidelity SME Hub, Fidelity Quarterly Business Forum, SME masterclasses, HerFidelity and FundHer. The programmes offer financing, business advisory, capacity development, digital solutions and market access opportunities.
The bank said its continued partnership with Beauty in the Motherland reflected its commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and businesses across Nigeria’s beauty value chain, particularly women-owned enterprises.
