By Louis Iba

EXECUTIVE Director, Lagos and South West Operations at Fidelity Bank Plc, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, has advised Nigerians to focus more ef­forts on grow their savings in local banks despite the prevailing tough economic climate in the country.

Onyeali-Ikpe, who spoke at a ceremony to reward customers of the bank who won various prizes in the its just concluded ‘Save for Shelter’ promo held in Lekki, La­gos, recently, stated that Nigerians must continue to save despite the tough times, arguing that a savings account with a bank remains the best way to keep something for the rainy days.

“And there will always be those rainy days when a saving you made in a bank comes in handy. So I urge Nigerians to continue saving,” she added, saying the bank’s ‘Save for Shelter’ was one of the pro­grammes launched to encourage more Nigerians to open and op­erate savings accounts with local banks.

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At the final draws of the promo, Ms. Clara Ibedu, a businesswom­an, emerged the winner of a star prize of a four-bedroom duplex in Lekki, Lagos. Three other custom­ers who participated in the promo went home with various consola­tion prizes, including Mr. Christo­pher Emode who won N2 million; Godwin Obiorah with N500,000 and Miss Angela Apoesho, who got a Thermocool generator.

“Initially I thought it was a scam when I was called to inform me I had won a four-bedroom duplex in Lekki by the bank,” Ibedu, the star prize winner, said upon being pre­sented with the keys to the house.

“I have to be honest, the day I opened this savings account with Fidelity Bank I did so reluctantly because I came to do one busi­ness at one of their branches and they said without owning a sav­ings account they won’t deal with me. And so I opened the account. Today, I give God the glory because that account has now made me a landlady in Lekki. Saving culture with a bank pays, and I want to urge Nigerians to own savings ac­counts; it has given me a house,” she added.