Heritage Bank Empowers 2000 Female Entrepreneurs Via Financial Inclusivity Initiatives
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| L-R: Secretary to the Local Government, Surulere, Comrade Hakeem Dauda; Supervisor for Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation, Adenike Yusuf; President/Convener Prime women Builders Foundation of Nigeria (PWOBFON), Adekemi Olofunkua; Vice Chairman, Ikeja Local Government Development Council, Yomi Mayungba and Head, Brand Management & Sustainability, Heritage Bank Plc, Ozena Utulu, during the graduation ceremony/ certificate award ceremony held at Ikeja Local Government headquarters. |
Taking
into consideration the importance of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs) to the economy, Heritage Bank Plc has continued to
structure financial inclusivity
initiatives in empowering over 2000 female entrepreneurs towards
economic enablement and self-realization.
This
move is in line with the people-oriented policies of the Central Bank
of Nigeria (CBN), Heritage Bank Plc is partnering with a
Non-Governmental Organization, Prime
Women Builders Foundation of Nigeria (PWOBFON) in providing skills
training to the female entrepreneurs.
At
the graduation ceremony/ certificate award ceremony held at Ikeja
Local Government headquarters over the weekend, the MD/CEO of Heritage
Bank, Ifie Sekibo said the
bank is keen in cultivating real partnerships with Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Sekibo,
who was represented by the Head, Brand Management & Sustainability
Ozena Utulu explained that the lender is interested in initiatives that
encourage people to
start their own businesses and gradually grow them into conglomerates.
According
to him, the partnership with PWOBFON is vital in many ways particularly
in the area of job creation, economic empowerment and financial
inclusion.
His
words: “apart from skills training, the women have been told the
importance of record keeping in business, savings culture and the
benefits of having bank accounts
as a gateway to accessing other financial services.”
He
said Heritage Bank has been a leading Nigerian bank with an excellent
service culture hinged on working with each customer to create a name,
wealth and heritage.
Also
speaking, President/Convener Prime women Builders Foundation of
Nigeria, Kemi Olofinkua applauded the bank for its support, and urged
other corporate organizations
to take a cue from the lender in supporting grassroots women
empowerment.
She
explained that through the support from the Heritage Bank and the Ikeja
Local government, the women, based on their choices, have been equipped
with 15 vocational
skills covering event decoration, small chops making, baking, pastries,
bead making, computer training , soap making, makeup, tailoring, digital
marketing, Photography, hairdressing among others.
To
underscore the importance of women empowerment, the CBN had earlier
set aside 60 per cent of its N220 billion MSMED Fund for providing
financial services to women.
According
to Olofinkua, this training is important because when women are
positively occupied, the level of poverty will reduce and great
achievements will be recorded
not only on the home front, but on several sectors of “our national
life.”
“Heritage
Bank has been very supportive and our desire is to see participants of
PWOBFON Empowerment Day, doing great in their various vocations. Each
and every one of
us must deliberately find something to occupy us and bring good profit.
There are lots of vocations that each and every one of us can excel in;
so that we will not be frustrated along the part of life,” Olofinkua
stated.
The
executive chairman, Ikeja Local Government Development Council, Dr.
Mojeed Alabi Balogun, represented by his vice, Yomi Mayungba said the
local government is interested
in the initiative because it is in line with its grassroots skills
training program . According to him, this is a way of keeping not only
women, but men also out of the streets.
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