Ememandu: FidBank Preserves, Move Wealth through Tailored Cross-border Solutions

As Nigerian investors and businesses look increasingly beyond borders for growth, FidBank UK Limited is positioning itself as a trusted gateway between Nigeria and the United Kingdom. In this interview, CEO of FidBank UK Limited, Johnson Ememandu, discusses how the bank is helping customers build, preserve and move wealth through tailored cross-border solutions, including Buy-to-Let, Euroclear access and international card services. He also speaks on the institution’s return to profitability, disciplined growth strategy, strong risk culture and wider role in advancing Fidelity Bank Group’s international ambitions, while unlocking new opportunities across the UK–Nigeria economic corridor. Oluchi Chibuzor presents the excerpts

FidBank UK has hosted this product showcase platform repeatedly since 2024. What does that consistency say about your long-term conviction in UK-linked opportunities for Nigerian investors and corporates?

Our journey has been one of deliberate evolution. Following Fidelity Bank Plc’s acquisition of Union Bank UK in 2023 and its subsequent transformation into FidBank UK Limited, we identified a unique opportunity to create a platform that connects our customers to credible, long-term wealth creation opportunities across borders.

When we launched this showcase series in 2024, our focus was centred on our Buy-to-Let proposition. While that offering remains a key pillar of our value proposition, our customers’ aspirations have evolved—and so have we. This year’s showcase featured three complementary solutions designed to support wealth creation and global financial access: our Buy-to-Let offering, our International Debit Card with exclusive lifestyle privileges, and our Euroclear capability.

The continued evolution of this platform reflects a fundamental principle of our strategy. We are not driven by trends; rather, we are committed to developing solutions that align with the way our customers live, invest, and build wealth. With each edition, the platform becomes more sophisticated because our ambition extends beyond offering products—we are creating seamless pathways that connect opportunity with execution, enabling our customers to achieve their financial goals with confidence.

At this year’s showcase, Buy-to-Let, debit card and Euroclear Bank services were placed side by side. What strategic thinking connects these offerings, and what customer need were you most determined to solve?  

At first glance, these may appear to be distinct products serving different needs. However, they are united by a single objective: helping our customers preserve wealth, grow wealth, and move wealth seamlessly across borders.

Today’s customer is increasingly global in outlook and activity. They may earn income in one jurisdiction, invest in another, travel frequently, and maintain personal or business interests across multiple markets. As financial lives become more interconnected, our responsibility is to eliminate friction and provide solutions that enable customers to navigate these complexities with ease and confidence.

Our Buy-to-Let proposition supports long-term wealth creation through access to quality real estate opportunities. Euroclear opens the door to global investment markets, providing diversification and broader portfolio options. The FidBank UK International Debit Card delivers convenience, flexibility, and seamless access to funds wherever our customers are in the world.

Together, these solutions form an integrated ecosystem designed to empower customers to participate confidently in the global economy. Rather than relying on disconnected financial products, our customers benefit from a coordinated suite of solutions that supports their ambitions, simplifies cross-border financial activity, and helps them build lasting wealth.

Your Buy-to-Let proposition is designed around residential investment properties in England and Wales, with lending in British pounds and a strong risk management framework. What makes this product especially relevant for high-net-worth Nigerians at this point in time?

The best time to invest and create wealth is always now. Today’s investors operate in an increasingly interconnected world. Many of our customers earn income in one market while deploying capital across multiple jurisdictions. They maintain families, businesses, educational commitments, and lifestyle interests that span borders and require reliable, long-term financial solutions.

In this context, our Buy-to-Let proposition represents far more than an opportunity to own property in the United Kingdom. It is a strategic wealth creation and preservation vehicle—one that enables customers to store value in a mature and well-regulated market, generate sustainable rental income, and build long-term financial resilience.

At a time when investors are increasingly seeking ways to diversify their assets and mitigate the impact of currency volatility, quality real estate continues to offer an attractive combination of stability, capital appreciation, and recurring income. Through our Buy-to-Let proposition, we are providing customers with access to these opportunities in a structured and accessible manner.

Ultimately, our objective is simple: to help customers convert today’s earnings into enduring wealth, while providing them with the confidence that their investments are anchored in markets and assets capable of supporting their long-term aspirations.

The event was hosted at the Residence of the British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos. How would you describe FidBank UK’s relationship with the British Deputy High Commission, and why does that relationship matter for investment confidence and bilateral business engagement?  

The United Kingdom continues to demonstrate its openness to international investment, and the British Deputy High Commission plays an important role in reinforcing that commitment.

Our relationship with the British Deputy High Commission is founded on a shared belief in the value of responsible investment, sustainable economic growth, and stronger commercial ties between Nigeria and the United Kingdom. It reflects a mutual commitment to creating opportunities that deliver long-term value for businesses, investors, and both economies.

By hosting this event at the Deputy High Commissioner’s Residence, the platform itself assumes a deeper significance. Beyond providing a prestigious setting, it serves as a visible expression of institutional confidence and underscores the UK Government’s support for responsible business expansion, cross-border investment, and economic collaboration.

Such alignment is powerful. It sends a strong signal to investors that opportunities within the UK market are supported by a stable regulatory environment and an enduring commitment to international business. More importantly, it reinforces trust, strengthens bilateral commercial confidence, and creates a foundation upon which long-term investment relationships can flourish.For our customers, that confidence matters. It provides additional assurance that they are investing within a market that values transparency, stability, and sustainable growth—qualities that are essential to successful wealth creation over the long term.

The British Deputy High Commission has spoken about deepening UK Nigeria trade, investment and economic growth. Where do you see FidBank UK playing the most practical role in translating that shared ambition into measurable business outcomes?

We see our role very clearly at the point where capital meets opportunity, where innovative ideas require funding to scale, where trade requires financing to flourish, and where investment seeks productive avenues for growth.

Our responsibility extends beyond the provision of financial services. We are focused on transforming opportunity into execution by connecting businesses, investors, and markets through solutions that are practical, efficient, and sustainable. Whether through providing access to working capital, supporting long-term investment projects, facilitating trade flows, or enabling cross-border transactions, our objective is to remove barriers and accelerate economic activity.

We recognise that meaningful economic growth occurs when capital is deployed effectively, businesses are empowered to expand, and commercial relationships are strengthened. As such, we are committed to building the financial infrastructure and partnerships that enable

these outcomes. Ultimately, our ambition is to serve as a trusted catalyst for UK–Nigeria economic engagement—facilitating the flow of capital, supporting enterprise, and helping unlock the immense opportunities that exist between both markets. In doing so, we are not only supporting business growth; we are contributing to deeper economic cooperation and shared prosperity between our two nations.

FidBank UK has positioned itself as a UK regulated gateway connecting Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Beyond real estate, what are the most important ways you are helping businesses unlock cross border opportunities in trade finance, treasury, commercial lending and private banking?

We are deliberate and intentional in the products and services we develop, ensuring that our customers’ evolving needs remain at the centre of our innovation and decision-making.

For our corporate clients, our approach extends beyond providing transactional banking services. From the very beginning of the relationship, we seek to understand their business objectives and provide tailored solutions that support growth, efficiency, and long-term success. This includes access to working capital finance, invoice discounting facilities, and Letters of Credit to facilitate both domestic and international trade.

Beyond financing, our Treasury team offers sophisticated liquidity and cash management solutions designed to optimise balance sheet performance, enhance capital efficiency, and support effective financial management.

Importantly, we recognise that businesses do not operate in isolation. Behind every corporate entity are directors, shareholders, and senior executives with personal banking, investment, and wealth management needs. Through our integrated banking model, we are able to support both the business and the individuals who lead it, providing a seamless suite of corporate, retail, and wealth management solutions. Ultimately, our objective is simple: to be a banking partner that supports the full spectrum of our customers’ needs—helping them build, grow, manage, and preserve wealth across every stage of their personal and business journey.

For Nigerian corporates and entrepreneurs looking outward, what should they understand about the kind of cross border structure, financial discipline and advisory support that FidBank UK can bring to the table?

One of our greatest strengths is that we operate within one of the world’s most respected and robust regulatory environments. As a UK-regulated institution, we are held to the highest standards of governance, transparency, risk management, and consumer protection. These standards are not simply regulatory requirements; they are principles that shape how we conduct business, make decisions, and serve our customers every day.

Whether we are structuring a trade finance facility, supporting a lending opportunity, facilitating cross-border transactions, or developing innovative retail and wealth management solutions, our customers can be confident that their interests remain at the centre of everything we do.

Importantly, we do not view regulatory discipline as a constraint on growth. Rather, we see it as a strategic advantage. Strong governance fosters accountability, enhances resilience, and promotes sustainable outcomes for all stakeholders.

In an increasingly complex and interconnected financial landscape, trust has become one of the most valuable assets any institution can possess. The strength of the UK regulatory framework provides our customers with the confidence that they are partnering with an institution committed to integrity, prudence, and long-term value creation.

Ultimately, it is this combination of regulatory rigour, customer focus, and disciplined execution that enables us to build enduring relationships and support our customers’ ambitions with confidence.

FidBank UK’s 2025 results showed a return to profitability, total income of $16.4 million, total assets of $450.1 million, deposits of $391 million dand loans of $271 million. What were the biggest drivers of that turnaround and growth story?

We were pleased to return to profitability in 2025, delivering a Profit Before Tax of approximately $920,000.

While this milestone is significant, financial performance is ultimately the outcome of something much deeper. It reflects the quality of our strategy, the strength of our relationships, and the discipline with which we execute. Over the past year, we became more focused as an institution. We took a deliberate approach to identifying the areas where we could create the greatest value for our customers and concentrated our efforts on building deeper, more meaningful, and higher-quality relationships. At its core, banking remains a relationship business. Sustainable growth is built on trust, consistency, and a genuine understanding of our customers’ needs and aspirations. It comes from being a trusted partner—not only in times of opportunity, but throughout every stage of a customer’s personal and business journey. Our performance in 2025 is a reflection of that discipline and focus. It demonstrates the progress we have made in strengthening our franchise, deepening customer engagement, and positioning the business for sustainable long-term growth. While we are encouraged by what we have achieved, we remain focused on the opportunities ahead and committed to building an institution that delivers enduring value for our customers, shareholders, employees, and the communities we serve.

Fees and commission income at FidBank UK rose by 22 per cent in 2025, while the Bank also maintained a very low NPL ratio of 0.07 per cent. What does that say about the quality of the business you are building and the discipline behind the strategy?

Simply put, we are growing with discipline and control. The growth in our fees and commission income, coupled with a very low Non-Performing Loan (NPL) ratio, reflects a deliberate and balanced approach to growth—one that is firmly anchored in robust risk management, strong governance, and regulatory discipline.

We are intentional about the opportunities we pursue and equally intentional about the controls that support them. Every opportunity is evaluated through the lens of sustainability, risk, and long-term value creation. This disciplined approach ensures that growth is not only achieved, but achieved in a manner that strengthens the resilience and quality of our franchise.

In an environment where growth is often measured by size alone, we remain focused on a different objective. Our ambition is not simply to grow bigger; it is to grow better.

That distinction is important. Quality growth is inherently more durable than rapid growth. It creates stronger customer relationships, generates more sustainable earnings, preserves capital, and positions the institution to navigate changing market conditions with confidence.

Our performance demonstrates that disciplined growth and prudent risk management are not competing priorities—they are mutually reinforcing drivers of long-term success.

At Group level, Fidelity Bank Plc delivered gross earnings of N1.52 trillion, profit before tax of N347.7 billion, total assets of N10.46 trillion, customer deposits of N6.89 trillion and eligible capital of N532.6 billion in 2025. How does the performance of FidBank UK fit into your broader international growth ambition for the Group?

The acquisition of FidBank UK was a deliberate and highly strategic decision, rooted in our conviction that the economic corridor between the United Kingdom and Nigeria presents significant long-term opportunities for growth.

The flow of trade, remittances, investment capital, and commercial activity between both markets continues to expand. As these flows become increasingly sophisticated, so too does the need for credible, well-regulated financial institutions capable of facilitating them efficiently and securely.

FidBank UK sits at the centre of this opportunity. We see our role as extending beyond the movement of capital. Our ambition is to serve as a trusted platform for structuring solutions, facilitating trade, supporting investment activity, and enabling businesses and individuals to transact confidently across borders.

This positioning creates value not only for our customers but also for the broader Fidelity Bank Group. By connecting international markets, strengthening cross-border capabilities, and deepening customer relationships, FidBank UK contributes meaningfully to the Group’s strategic objective of building a diversified and internationally connected financial services franchise.

In that context, our performance should not be viewed in isolation. It represents an important component of the Group’s broader ambition to expand its international footprint in a purposeful, commercially sustainable, and value-accretive manner. As economic ties between the UK and Nigeria continue to strengthen, we believe FidBank UK is well positioned to play an increasingly important role in supporting that growth and capturing the opportunities it creates.