Fidelity Bank Plc, top Nigerian lender has reaffirmed its commitment to
\nenhancing the productivity and prosperity of Micro Small and Medium
\nEnterprises (MSMEs) in the country by providing capacity building and
\nadvisory services, innovative funding options and other forms of
\nrelevant support that would significantly improve their overall
\ncontributions to national development.<\/p>\n
Fidelity CEO, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe gave the assurance at the Fidelity
\nSME National Capacity Building Webinar organized by the bank for
\nentrepreneurs in Enugu State, in collaboration with the Enugu State
\nMinistry of Trade and Commerce and the Enugu SME Centre; Small and
\nMedium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN); Nigeria
\nAssociation of Small & Medium Enterprises (NASME) and Enugu Chamber of
\nCommerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA).<\/p>\n
The webinar which will take place across the country on a state-by-state
\nbasis, is part of concerted efforts to assist entrepreneurs across all
\nsectors of the Nigerian economy develop requisite capacity to unlock
\ntheir full potentials and take their businesses to the next level of
\ngrowth.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Onyeali-Ikpe who during her remarks on Wednesday provided insights
\ninto the bank\u2019s unique approach to managing MSMEs, pointed out that SMEs
\nwhich are businesses with less than N100m annual turnover contribute
\nabout 48% of national GDP, account for 96% of businesses and 84% of
\nemployment in Nigeria. She noted that despite the significant
\ncontribution of SMEs to the Nigerian economy, challenges still persist
\nthat hinder the growth and development of the sector. Chief among these
\nare funding, lack of infrastructure, poor management, low
\nentrepreneurial skills, improper planning, poor digital skills, etc. The
\nFidelity CEO however noted that the webinar seeks to proffer appropriate
\nsolutions to these challenges in a very practicable manner.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a dedicated SME Desk with innovative products and services to
\nassist your business. Fidelity Bank, in partnership with various private
\nand public institutions provides funding, business advisory services for
\nall our customers. This webinar is an excellent opportunity to network,
\nshare information and deepen the SME sector in Enugu State\u201d, she
\nexplained.<\/p>\n
Themed \u201cFunding and Financial Management\u201d, the Enugu Edition had in
\nattendance special guests including Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi, First Lady,
\nEnugu State, Sir Robert O. Anwatu, Managing Director\/Chief Executive
\nOfficer, Roban Stores, and Mr. Chiedozie Atuegwu, Director, Michelle
\nLaboratories Limited, amongst others.<\/p>\n
In her remarks, Mrs. Ugwuanyi applauded the bank for its unrelenting
\nsupport for MSMEs in Enugu State, stating that the Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi-led
\nadministration remained at the forefront of SME development in Nigeria
\nas exemplified by its continuous investments in infrastructure
\ndeployment and provision of labor policy frameworks to further encourage
\ninvestments.<\/p>\n
Speaking in the same vein, President, Association of Bureau De Change
\nOperators of Nigeria (ABCON) (ABCON) Dr. Aminu Gwadabe commended the
\nbank for its sustained efforts at promoting MSMEs nationwide. Gwadabe
\nnoted that the bank had been very supportive to its 5,000 licensed
\nmembers nationwide. \u201cThe Bureau De Change (BDC) does about N1.4trillion
\nper annum. Fidelity Bank controls 60 percent of these transactions in
\nthe country\u201d, he explained.<\/p>\n
Whilst shedding light on the dynamics of the Bureau De Change sector,
\nDr, Gwadabe revealed that exchange rate stability was determined by the
\ncountry\u2019s SME structure. Given the immense potentials inherent in the
\nnation\u2019s MSME space, he said that the fledgling sector, if properly
\npositioned, could assist the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) achieve its
\nmandate on exchange rate stability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Fidelity Bank Plc, top Nigerian lender has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing the productivity and prosperity of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country by providing capacity building…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":78040,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n