By CHINYERE JOEL-NWOKEOMA

Fidelity Bank Plc on Thursday splashed N39 million on 15 customers in the final draw of its Get Alert In Millions (GAIM) Season 4 savings promo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the cash prizes were in the categories of N10 million grand prize, N3 million, N2 million and N1 million, respectively.

NAN reports that Mr Sunday Okeke of Matori branch Lagos and Mr Justine Nwaozor of Suleja branch, Niger State, were the star prize winners of N10 million naira each.

The winners emerged through a transparent process witnessed by representatives of the National Lottery Commission and Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

Speaking at the final draw, the bank’s Managing Director, Mrs Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, said the campaign was the ninth in the series of savings promos embarked upon by the bank in last 14 years.

Onyeali-Ikpe said the season 4, which commenced in October 2019, had so far conducted five draws but was suspended due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She noted that the promo was suspended in March 2020 upon obtaining the necessary regulatory approval due to COVID-19.

“Based on the monthly and bi-monthly draws conducted, 81 winners had emerged; with a total of N63 million and several consolation prizes won,” she added.

Onyeali-Ikpe, who was represented by the bank’s Executive Director, Lagos &South West, Dr Ken Opara, said the bank had also given out airtime worth about N6 million to 7,000 customers in the promo.

“At this final draw, we shall give out total cash wins of N39 million to 15 customers and 18 consolation prizes of television sets, fridges, and generators.

“Upon conclusion of this draw, we would have given out N120 million in cash and 108 consolation prizes of television sets, fridges, and generators (worth N7.8 million) to 204 winners,” she said.

Onyeali-Ikpe noted that the promo was instituted to boost financial inclusion and to reward its teeming customers for their loyalty and patronage.

“The phrase ‘It pays to save with Fidelity Bank’ has become deeply entrenched in the minds of the people and this savings campaign will in no small measure aid the growth of that consciousness.

“This promo encourages customers and members of the public to imbibe a savings culture, thus deepening financial inclusion, in line with the mandates of the Central Bank of Nigeria,” she added.

She said the promo had impacted positively on the bank’s bottomline.

“The impact has been very phenomenal in major growth, a lot of people who didn’t have the opportunity to save now have.

“The major thing is that it has increased the savings culture and that has also translated to the bottomline in terms of the volume of savings the bank has achieved both in the number of people and the volume of savings.

“It has been a huge success; benefit to the customer, benefit to the bank and benefit to the country,” Onyeali-Ikpe said.

According to her, the bank is perfecting arrangements for the next promo and the customers should be expectant.

“So, in no distance time, you are going to see another promo with additional incentives.

“The customers should keep the hope alive, keep saving, before you know it the next promo is with us with bumper benefits attached to it. It will get better than what you have seen today,” she said.

She said the bank would inculcate financial literacy in the next promo.

“We will teach people how to invest and invest well. The package is also going to involve teaching them how to invest what they have won to have a sustainable lifestyle at the end,” she said. (NAN)

•PHOTO: L-R: Divisional Head, Product Development, Fidelity Bank Plc, Richard Madiebo; Head, Savings Group, Fidelity Bank Plc, Ukpai Ibe; Representative, Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission, Susie Onwuka; Executive Director, Lagos &SouthWest, Fidelity Bank Plc, Dr. Ken Opara, Representative, National Lottery Commission; and Divisional Head, Digital Marketing, Fidelity Bank Plc, Ose Osundeko at the 6th / Final Draw of GAIM Season 4 promo where two customers emerged star prize winners of N10m each in Lagos . . . Thursday

Update news