Fidelity Bank Raises  N259bn Via Private Placement, Surpass N500bn Capital Requirement

Kayode  Tokede

Fidelity Bank Plc, yesterday announced to the investing public that it has  surpassed the N500billion regulatory capital threshold following the successful completion of a N259billion private placement of ordinary shares.

Crossing the  N500 billion CBN’s capital requirement marks a major milestone in the lender’s  ongoing recapitalisation drive.

The  Company Secretary, Fidelity Bank,  Ezinwa Unuigboje  in a signed statement on Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) disclosed that   the private placement, conducted with the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), was opened and closed on December 31, 2025.

According to him, the  proceeds from the exercise lifted Fidelity Bank’s eligible capital from N305.5billion to N564.5billion, subject to final regulatory approvals.

The latest capital raise positions the lender comfortably above the new minimum capital requirement of N500billion for commercial banks with international authorisation, as stipulated by the apex bank under its banking sector recapitalisation programme.

According to the bank, the private placement was carried out pursuant to the mandate granted by shareholders at its Extraordinary General Meeting held on February 6, 2025.

At the meeting, shareholders authorised the board to issue up to 20 billion ordinary shares through a private placement as part of measures to strengthen the bank’s capital base and enhance its capacity to support economic growth.

The N259billion raised through the private placement builds on earlier capital-raising efforts by the bank.

In 2024, Fidelity Bank successfully raised N175.85billion via a combination of a public offer and rights issue, which had increased its eligible capital to N305.5billion at the time.

That exercise left a capital shortfall of N194.5billion relative to the new regulatory benchmark, a gap now fully covered by the latest transaction.

Market analysts stated that  the successful completion of the private placement underscores strong investor confidence in the bank’s growth strategy, governance framework and long-term fundamentals, even amid tightening regulatory standards and evolving macroeconomic conditions.

Fidelity Bank noted that the strengthened capital position will enhance its balance sheet resilience, support business expansion, and enable it to play a more robust role in financing key sectors of the Nigerian economy, in line with regulatory expectations.

The bank added that it remains focused on value creation for shareholders, prudent risk management and sustained profitability as it navigates the post-recapitalisation phase of the banking sector.

Meanwhile, the stock price of Fidelity Bank closed  trading January 6, 2026 at N19.50 per share, about  2.26 per  cent or N0.46 per share from N19.95 per share it opened for trading