Partnering with SkillPaddy and other industry experts, the bank aims to equip startups and existing businesses with the skills and resources to develop innovative products and services, create new markets and fast-track their growth.

The bank aims to upskill about one million SMEs through a Technical Assistance grant of N284.7 million from Proparco (the private-sector arm of the French Development Agency) and another N227 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB).

These will enable FCMB to facilitate the successful onboarding and empowerment of SMEs, including women entrepreneurs, under its SheVentures proposition and those operating in high-impact sectors (agriculture, renewable energy, digital).

To kick off the programme, First City Monument Bank awarded N50 million in grants to 200 SMEs who participated in the first training session. This announcement was made at an event celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week 2023.

“The FCMB Accelerator Programme reaffirms our dedication to empowering businesses effectively,” said George Ogbonnaya, FCMB’s group head of SME banking. “We want to inspire Nigerians to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and build a portfolio of ready businesses that can transform Nigeria’s economy.”

FCMB is committed to supporting women-led SMEs. “Through mentorship and access to finance, we will continue to empower these incredible entrepreneurs,” Ogbonnaya added.

“This partnership with First City Monument Bank will be a game-changer for SMEs,” said Kunle Erinle, Founder and CEO of SkillPaddy.

“By accelerating productivity, we can unlock doors of opportunity for startups and existing businesses, ultimately boosting Nigeria’s economic growth.”

The report classifies Wema Bank as number three in SME Banking, this is three-places higher than the bank’s 2020 classification.

Wema Bank has been consistent in her drive to support the growth and development of SMEs in the country.

The bank has initiated several financial and advisory support programs to boost SMEs, some of which include: Single digit loans for women, uncollateralized loans for SMEs, quarterly SME webinars, access-to-market initiatives, and a plethora of other advisory and support services

In the last one year, Wema Bank pioneered the establishment of the first bank-led SME business school in the country, aimed at boosting critical knowledge and capabilities for SMEs at no cost to beneficiaries.

The business school which enjoys the support of Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Germany, has reputable consultants and organizations such as Ernst & Young, MTN, Microsoft, Google, Agusto, etc. facilitate at the program.

The KPMG survey ranked banks using the six pillars of customer experience excellence, including integrity (being trustworthy and engendering trust), resolution (turning a poor experience into a great one) and expectations (managing, meeting and exceeding customer’s expectations.

The others were empathy (understanding the customer’s circumstances to drive deep rapport), personalization (using individualized attention to drive emotional connection) and time and effort (minimizing customer effort and creating frictionless processes).

In a statement on the survey report, KPMG said, “This year’s leaders show digital banking excellence and have adapted well to higher transaction volumes and complaints.”

Commenting on the bank’s KPMG ranking, the Managing Director/CEO, Wema Bank, Ademola Adebise, said it was an affirmation of the bank’s commitment to the growth and well-being of SMEs as critical contributors to the economy.

He said, “At Wema Bank, we recognize SMEs as an important part of the economy, and we are always on the lookout for their well-being. We are happy that the SMEs acknowledge our contributions, hence our ranking”.

Speaking further, he stated that recognitions such as this are an invitation to do more. He therefore gave the bank’s unwavering commitment to intensifying its support to SMEs in year 2022.

Recall that in 2020, Wema Bank received the SME Bank of the year award from Business Day and in 2021, the bank has again received this recognition from KPMG as a customer experience leader in the banking industry.

This is definitely a bank to lookout for in 2022.

The KPMG Nigeria Banking Industry Customer Experience Survey has been held annually for the last 15 years with the 2021 edition themed “Changing Customer, Changing Priorities”.