The management of Wema Bank is particularly interested and advocating for the growth and sustainability of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs, ecosystem in Nigeria through digital empowerment.
This became even more evident as the pioneers of Africa’s first digital bank, ALAT, under the aegis of its parent institution, made a call on all relevant stakeholders to prioritise digital empowerment for MSMEs as a measure for championing a sustainable MSME ecosystem in Nigeria.
Speaking during the International MSMEs Day and MSME Awards Night 2024 which held in Abuja recently, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Wema Bank, Moruf Oseni, represented by the bank’s Executive Director of Retail and Digital Business, Tunde Mabawonku, emphasised the pressing need to prioritise technology and digital empowerment to complement capacity development, financial empowerment and collaborative efforts, towards building a supportive ecosystem for MSMEs to thrive.
The event which featured various entities, including Wema Bank, who brainstormed and proffered financial solutions to provide affordable loans and funding for MSMEs, was organised by the Federal Government through the Office of the Vice President in commemoration of World MSME Day 2024 and themed ‘Call to action: Provision of sustainable single-digit loans for MSMEs.’
In his speech, Wema bank CEO, Moruf Oseni declared his institution’s position for digital empowerment for MSMEs especially as pioneers of Africa’s first digital bank, ALAT, under the aegis of its parent institution.
Oseni said his institution was committed to the course while emphasizing the imperatives of equipping MSMEs with relevant digital skills.
He said, “At Wema Bank, our approach embodies the saying, ‘Give a man fish, he will come back but teach a man to fish, he will learn to fend for himself and others’. Technology and digital are the future, and intelligence is here to stay. What we are doing for these MSMEs is beyond providing the finances they need.
“We are also focusing on empowering them with relevant and transferrable digital skills to ensure they are not left behind in this digital evolution. What are the skills they need to sell in this fast-growing digital world? To operate effectively? To compete? To maximise the resources at their disposal? These are the questions that drive us at Wema Bank”, he said.
According to Oseni, the goal is digital empowerment for scale and to maximise the bank’s impact.
“We continue to partner with several esteemed bodies and institutions across the world, from banks to agencies, regulatory organisations, etc. Collaboration for us is continuous, from small alliances that allow us to empower smaller businesses through significant platforms within their ecosystem to bigger partnerships like the FGN-ALAT Digital Skillnovation Programme.”
“We will continue to combine efforts and pool resources where ideal to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, provide financial support and other resources that these businesses need and empower them to skillfully utilise the resources available to them for maximum impact and growth,” Mabawonku concluded.
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Day is celebrated globally to raise awareness of the tremendous contributions of enterprises to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
