Kwabena Boateng
Deputy Managing Director in charge of Wholesale Banking at Fidelity Bank Ghana, Kwabena Boateng, has reaffirmed the bank’s position as a leading partner in youth-driven enterprise development and inclusive financing during the 2025 Ghana-European Union Business Forum.
The event, was held under the theme: “Fostering Collaboration Between Ghanaian and European Entrepreneurial Ecosystems – Investing in Young Businesses in Ghana under the EU Global Gateway Strategy.”
Mr. Boateng, in a high-level panel discussion focused on deepening cooperation between financial institutions, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), and entrepreneurial support networks, underscored Fidelity Bank’s deep-rooted dedication to supporting Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and young entrepreneurs.
“Fidelity Bank is truly committed to supporting SMEs and young entrepreneurs,” Mr. Boateng stated. “Our collaboration with the EU and partners like the Netherlands Enterprise Agency on initiatives such as the Orange Corners Innovation Fund has been instrumental.”
He said the Orange Market, serves as a curated marketplace where young entrepreneurs can showcase and sell their products to the public, closing the loop between ideation and commercialisation.
Beyond the EU partnership, Mr. Boateng also highlighted Fidelity Bank’s significant collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation, particularly within the agri-sector.
“With the Mastercard Foundation, we’ve been able to roll out approximately GHS 57 million in funding over the past 18 months, directly contributing to the creation of 12,000 new jobs and sustaining an impressive 11,300 existing jobs,” he revealed. “This support has also reached over 21,000 smallholder farmers, demonstrating our broad impact across vital sectors.”
Mr. Boateng affirmed Fidelity Bank’s intentional measures to ensure that EU and DFI support genuinely reaches women-led enterprises.
“Supporting women has to be intentional,” he emphasised. “We identify sectors with a high concentration of women entrepreneurs, such as fashion, food processing, and small-scale manufacturing, and specifically target them through programs like the Orange Corners with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). Our Bridge-in-Agriculture program with Mastercard is also specifically designed to target women aged 18 to 35 years, and businesses that employ youth and women.”
He further detailed concrete steps taken to reduce barriers for women entrepreneurs: “Recognizing the high cost of borrowing, our partnerships, like the Orange Corners, offer rates as low as 5%, and Mastercard’s program offers 7%. Critically, we have also significantly reduced collateral requirements to as low as 20%, ensuring that women entrepreneurs, who often lack traditional collateral, can still access the capital they need.”
By Samuel Boadi