Access Bank, through the W Initiative, a brand dedicated to inspiring, connecting, and empowering women in all categories, has partnered with SME.NG to provide a one-stop-shop solution for women entrepreneurs in Nigeria.
As an organization that sees providing female entrepreneurs with an opportunity to access easy finance, wider market, technical as well as business support to be of fundamental importance, the Bank has partnered with SME.NG to launch the Ebi marketplace; an online platform which will be Nigeria’s first all women’s e-market place with a fusion of financial services, trading opportunities, access to advisory services, mentorship, networking and so much more.
In an Interview with Victor Etuokwu, the Executive Director of Retail Banking Division, speaking on Access Bank’s Interest in supporting female-owned businesses, He says, “Women SMEs face major challenges in the areas of funding, business networks, technical know-how and business management amongst others. It is therefore imperative to support the digitization of women-owned businesses in Nigeria by providing them with economic opportunities, business sustainability, and improving resilience to the negative effects of the economic downturn which would reduce the bottlenecks faced in running their businesses. To this effect, Access Bank, through the W Initiative is set to onboard 1500 female entrepreneurs on the Ebi Marketplace platform to ensure viability and resilience to economic shocks.
In her remarks, Ms. Thelma Ekiyor, the Managing Director of SME.NG, stated that “Access Bank’s commitment to women through the W initiative makes the Bank the ideal partner for the Ebi Marketplace”.
It is believed that Access Bank’s commitment to empowering female entrepreneurs will continue to contribute immensely to the growth of SMEs in Nigeria and further impact the social and economic growth of the country.
