Access Bank has announced a partnership with the Solina Centre for International Development and Research (SCIDaR), a leading non-profit organization focused on impactful health interventions across Africa. This collaboration aims to address the financing challenges faced by over 200,000 health SMEs in Nigeria.
Strengthening Health SMEs
Mark Akpan, SCIDaR’s Access to Finance Specialist, noted that through this partnership, SCIDaR will enhance the capacity of health SMEs to be investment-ready. This will be achieved by providing technical support services, including entrepreneurship and financial management training, along with business development services. These efforts are aimed at fostering a sustained relationship between health providers and Access Bank.
Signing of MoU
At the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing event held at SCIDaR’s headquarters in Abuja, Dr. Uchenna Igbokwe, CEO of SCIDaR, emphasized the critical need for funding in Nigeria’s health system. He highlighted that insufficient funding has strained the country’s health infrastructure, leading to subpar performance on health metrics. Dr. Igbokwe remarked that the partnership with Access Bank is timely, aligning with the government’s vision for the health sector, and has the potential to strengthen health value chains and support Nigeria’s GDP contribution.
Access Bank’s Commitment
Chizoma Okoli, Deputy Managing Director of Access Bank, reiterated the bank’s commitment to providing access to finance for entrepreneurs in key sectors, including transportation, agriculture, and health. She highlighted that in 2022, Access Bank launched a project with the ambitious goal of enrolling one in every two Nigerians. This initiative has already yielded outstanding results, and the bank remains dedicated to its ongoing mandate.
The partnership between Access Bank and SCIDaR represents a significant step towards addressing the financial challenges faced by health SMEs in Nigeria. By providing necessary training and support, this collaboration aims to enhance the capacity of health SMEs, improve health infrastructure, and contribute to the country’s economic growth.
