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Firstbank’s SMEConnect Portal Could Be Differentiator For SMES in Nigeria
Over a hundred years since banks came into Nigeria, services rendered to small and medium scale businesses were limited to core banking services and transactions.
However, those that cared to look further were able to stand the test of time, reinventing themselves with cutting-edge financial services that remain key to sustaining its relevance to not just its host communities but the global community.
Based on findings from extensive engagements with customers, internal and external surveys and reports by SMEDAN, Efina and NBS, First Bank of Nigeria Limited has been deliberate in ensuring that SMEs thrive and grow their businesses as SMEs can access and enjoy the convenience of its industry-leading financial services. FirstBank thus launched the SMEConnect portal to congregate value-adding propositions & services for SMEs on a single platform for easy access.
The value propositions and services on the SMEConnect portal educate and equip SMEs to combat challenges like poor business structure, lack of infrastructure, low market penetration, limited access to information and professional services, inconsistent government policies and others that might stifle their growth.
For example, lack of capacity is one of the most indicted reasons for business failure or stunted growth in business. The SMEconnect portal connects business owners to resources and information to educate them on structuring and better managing their businesses. The platform houses webinars on various important topics to help educate SMEs and build the required capacity.
The blog section of the portal has interesting and informative content like:
Tips for Building and maintaining good customer relationships; Remaining in business after Covid-19; How to scale up; How to successfully separate a financial business account from a personal business account; as well as Creating a Micropension scheme for MSMEs etc.
FirstBank also runs varying degrees of entrepreneurship programs and activities through pieces of training, workshops, seminars, business clinics and webinars, and the events are displayed on the portal for business owners to access.
It is known that over 60% of businesses fail in their first year, not only because of capacity constraints, access to finance is another reason they fail. The SMEConnect portal connects businesses to resources and finances by providing information on the various finance options available to registered users.
There is a section of the portal that breaks down the steps to accessing finance for businesses, to simple actions such as opening either savings or domiciliary accounts After all, what would be the essence of all the education and capacity building if the business owner is still unable to access finances and other resources. SMEs that have an account with FirstBank can access direct and indirect funding throughout the business life cycle via grants, debt/loans, and equity.
In addition to other benefits, the platform connects SMEs to Market, Resources, Infrastructure, Talent for business development, Policy and Advocacy, giving them all they need to move to the next stage of their business growth. The portal also integrates SMEs into large distribution networks by connecting them to customers, distributor channels, suppliers, and large corporates.
There are also productivity tools such as the Business Diagnostic tool that helps check the health of a business as well a pool of professionals like accountants, lawyers, digital marketers, consultants and business coaches, which SMEs can tap into. Some of these value-adding solutions are free, and for the few that are not, they come at substantially discounted rates. As the premier Bank in West Africa, First Bank has exceeded the expectation of what its services to individuals and businesses ought to be.
The SMEConnect portal is one of First Bank’s initiatives to promote the sustainability of SMEs by exposing them to the knowledge and resources they need to grow their business.
One of the most exciting features businesses get on the SMEConnect portal is the Business Diagnostic Tool earlier mentioned, it is a 15-minute survey where SMEs are asked questions about their business and at the end, get a customised report for their business. This is ordinarily, a service that business owners pay consultants to get, but First Bank has made it available for free even to businesses that do not have an account with them.
There are special offers for SMEs that are registered and have an account with First Bank, and an opportunity to be listed on the portal. You can find businesses listed across different industries like education/training, manufacturing, trade, agriculture, hospitality, transportation/logistics, telecommunications, ICT, healthcare and fitness, sports, FMCG, financial services, media/entertainment, food, real estate, engineering/construction, oil & gas, fashion/beauty, and services.
These registered businesses get to showcase their products/services for free, interact with customers and other SMEs, have an opportunity to attend free monthly capacity building workshops, seminars and webinars; and get exclusive discounts on business development resources such as booking a business coach.
As more businesses sign up and use the SMEConnect portal, it is possible to see a future where Nigerian businesses break even, thrive, and grow amidst challenges.
The Sterling One Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable development and empowering professionals to drive social impact across Africa, has partnered with Price Waterhouse Coopers Nigeria, UNIDO-Investment Technology Promotion Office, Nigeria, Lagos Business School Sustainability Center, Sterling Bank, NGX Group, the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry to unveil the first edition of its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Series.
The partnership aims to support professionals in understanding, implementing, and reporting sustainability progress, in alignment with global standards.
According to a signed statement by the Foundation, the ESG Series was birthed following a workshop held at the 2023 edition of the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) where it was discovered that there was a significant knowledge gap on the subject within the African development ecosystem as well as the private sector.
They commended all the excellent partners who have made the series possible noting that their commitment will strengthen professionals’ competencies in integrating ESG principles into organizational frameworks, and drive positive change while advancing the adoption of ESG principles and increased investment into the economy from local and global investors.
Over the years, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations have evolved from optional to essential for organizations, making the significance of incorporating ESG principles into business plans to enhance sustainability and corporate responsibility, for organizations an increased priority. Statistics indicate that ESG-focused institutional investments are projected to reach $33.9 trillion by 2026.
Through this series, the Foundation said it aims to demystify ESG concepts among the private, public, and development sectors in Nigeria and Africa while highlighting their tangible business benefits, to equip professionals with the knowledge and tools necessary for successful ESG integration in their organizations.
The one-day virtual event gives insight through in-depth sessions featuring thought leaders from private sector impact makers, development partners, international non-governmental organizations, and government agencies.
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Uche Ikejimba Secures Sixth Consecutive AMVCA Nomination With Best Unscripted M-Net Original Nod
Uche Ikejimba, Award-winning producer, has secured her sixth consecutive Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award nod. The organizers made the nomination announcements on Sunday, March 24, 2024, across all Africa Magic channels. It saw Ikejimba clinch a nom in the ‘Best Unscripted M-Net Original’ category for What Will People Say.
In 2022, Ikejimba received two nominations for ‘Best Africa Magic Original Drama Series’ for Unmarried and Dilemma. She secured two other nominations in 2023 in ‘Best Unscripted Original’ for Come Play Naija and ‘Best Original Drama Series’ category for Unmarried.
Speaking about her latest nomination, Ikejimba said, “I’m very humbled and beyond grateful to be receiving my sixth consecutive AMVCA nomination. Anyone who knows me will acknowledge that I often put my blood, sweat and tears into the shows I produce. After Truth won its nomination in 2020, I’ve been holding on patiently for a second win and I hope this is the year. So, here’s my hearty congratulations to my fellow nominees and a huge thank you to the AMVCAs organisers for honoring me.”
Ikejimba is one of Africa’s most-sought after serial producers, and has earned herself the title, ‘Reality TV Series Savant’, with work on 100% Naija, Vodafone Icons, Naija Sings, Calabar Festival Diaries, Big Brother Reunion, Shoot Your Shot, What Will People Say, Come Play Naija, and the more recently airing Husband Material and Overall Best.
She came into the world of Television production as an associate producer on Moments with Mo, the first and only syndicated daily talk show in Africa at the time. However, she has also proven that her talents go beyond producing reality shows or unscripted serials, and she can run with the best in producing original drama series.
In 2016, she landed her first commissioned project with Africa Magic titled Hustle. The series about a young man’s first time in Lagos became an instant hit and ran for three seasons, with 360 episodes. She created, wrote and produced Blink’s original 26-episode drama series titled Truth. The show won an AMVCA for ‘Best TV Series’ in 2020. That same year, she produced and wrote the hit series, Unmarried. The show ran for four seasons and ended on a high.
Off the success of these drama series, she produced Africa Magic’s Dilemma, a 260-episode telenovela. She produced Shallow and the recent Africa Magic fanfavourite original, Manfriend. The show follows the women of the King family and their dysfunctional relationship with the men in their lives. She also produced Showmax’s first original law limited series, AGU in 2023. Her first feature length film, Phantom is a co-production and is also nominated for several awards such as the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (TINFF).
Uche Ikejimba has beaten many odds to become a producer and remained steadfast in her commitment to producing the best shows Africa has ever seen. As the continent prepares for the milestone 10th AMVCA, the Reality TV Series Savant and producer extraordinaire is content to celebrate her sixth consecutive nomination. Find out if she clinches her second AMVCA win when the awards air live across all Africa Magic channels on May 11, 2024.
Commercial banks in Nigeria closed 2.021 million bank accounts in the first quarter of 2024, Q1’24, to clean their books of questionable accounts and comply with regulatory orders on the linkage of bank accounts to the National Identity Number (NIN).
This is contained in a report by the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), which also indicated that the number of inactive bank accounts grew month-on-month, MoM, by four million or 2.0 per cent to 19.7 million in March 2024 from 19.3 million in the previous month, February.
A bank account is classified inactive when it records zero transactions including deposits, withdrawals, transfers or point-of-sale transactions for six months.
However, details of the “Industry Bank Account Database”, a monthly data reported by banks, and compiled by the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System, NIBSS, also indicated that the number of active bank accounts grew by 6.62 million or 3.0 per cent to 219.64 million from 213.02 million in February.
Recall that in December 2023, the CBN issued a directive to all commercial banks in the country to restrict tier-1 accounts without proper Biometric Verification Number (BVN), and National Identity Number, NIN, that are not linked by Thursday, March 1st, 2024.
According to NIBSS data on BVN enrollment count, 61.6 million Nigerians have BVN as of April 2024.
Credit: Vanguard
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