Tinubu salutes first MD of Fidelity Bank on 75th birthday
by The Eagle Online · The Eagle OnlinePresident Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Nebolisa Arah, a seasoned banker and the first Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, as he turns 75 on Saturday, August 8, 2026.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made this known in a statement he issued on Friday.
Onanuga said Tinubu highlighted Arah’s enduring contributions to the banking sector and his commitment to professionalism.
Arah became the founding Managing Director of the then Fidelity Union Merchant Bank, which later transformed into Fidelity Bank in 1988, at the young age of 37.
He led the bank for 15 years.
President Tinubu said: “Mr Nebolisa Arah laid a foundation of integrity and professionalism not only for Fidelity Bank but for the banking institution generally.
“Arah’s influence on a generation of bankers and finance sector practitioners who are inspired by his exemplary life of integrity, simplicity and contentment is noteworthy.”
After five and a half years in retirement, Arah was called out in 2009 by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to reposition one of the banks just taken over by the regulator.
Also Read
- Tinubu salutes first MD of Fidelity Bank on 75th birthday
- A bond that must never be broken (6), by Femi Fani-Kayode
- The making of Oloye ’Lekan Alabi, by Remi Ladigbolu
- 17 die out of 124 victims of diphtheria in Niger State
- Sanwo-Olu condemns vandalisation of Lagos bridge
Later, the same month in the same year, he was appointed by the Federal Government to the Governing Board of the CBN.
As Fidelity Bank CEO, he led the bank to champion many philanthropic causes, including support for the Spinal Cord Injuries Association (SCIAN) in Lagos.
President Tinubu wished the banking icon more years and a continued life of impact.
[wpadcenter_ad id='745970' align='none']