President Bola Tinubu congratulates Nebolisa Arah, a seasoned banker and the first Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, as he turns 75 on Saturday, August 8, 2026.
The statement by the Special Adiviser to the President, Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga highlights 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 maintains that the celebrant laid a foundation of integrity and professionalism not only for Fidelity Bank but for the banking institution generally.
After five and a half years in retirement, Arah was called out in 2009 by the Central Bank of Nigeria to help reposition one of the banks just taken over by the regulator. 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 wishes the banking icon more years and a continued life of impact.
