Ecobank to sustain support for SMEs, grow agency banking network in 2022
Managing Director and Regional Executive, Ecobank Nigeria, Patrick Akinwuntan, has disclosed that the bank will continue to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and take banking to the doorsteps of Nigerians through its agency banking network and its digital financial services.
He also stated that the financial institution would assist industries that focus on exports such as agriculture and manufacturing in 2022.
The Nigerian NewsDirect reports that Akinwuntan, who spoke on the sidelines of the 56th Annual Bankers Dinner of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos, said Ecobank was well-positioned to support the various productive sectors of the economy for greater impact in the country.
His words: “For us as a bank, we will continue to support young entrepreneurs and SMEs, as you know white-collar jobs is not the way forward in a country of over 200 million people. We will bring banking to the doorstep of the last man through our agency banking and digital financial services.
“We will also support industries that focus on exports. More so, we are playing in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to assist in making Nigerian entrepreneurs become Pan- African multinationals.
“As Nigerians, we must tell our story; Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa and as of today, Africa provides the best investment opportunities globally, and as such we should turn our concerns to opportunities.”
Akinwuntan stressed that as the country exports more it would improve its foreign exchange earnings, widen its employment base and more support for industries and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would become more stable.
He advocated a more stable environment devoid of insecurity, as a prelude to ensuring an improved production and turning Nigeria from a consuming nation, stating that steady growth of employable youths remained critical for Nigeria economy to improve its production level.
He also disclosed that there were over 40 million SMEs in the country, assuring that the banks would continue to support the productive sector, entrepreneurial youths and small businesses for a greater impact on the nation’s economy.
