Access Bank has emerged as the winner in two different categories of awards at the maiden edition of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Award Night.
This event, organised by Nairametrics and the Economic Forum Series was endorsed by the Office of the Vice President on MSMEs & Job Creation, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It was also supported by key stakeholders such as the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA), Association of Licensed Mobile Payment Operators (ALMPO), and the FinTech Association of Nigeria (FinTechNGR); all of whom were well represented at the event.
Held at the Civic Centre Towers, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Friday, 27th of September, 2024, the awards night recognised and celebrated the organisations that have made a significant impact on the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector in Nigeria.
Access Bank, who was a proud sponsor of the event, was shortlisted in 3 different categories – Best in MSME Financial Inclusion (Bank), Best in MSME Finance for Women & Youth Entrepreneurship and MSME Bank of the Year.
For the Best in MSME Finance for Women & Youth Entrepreneurship category, Access Bank was nominated alongside Wema Bank and First City Monument Bank (FCMB). Access Bank emerged the winner, thanks to their significant strides in empowering women and youth entrepreneurs by providing them with the necessary tailored financial resources to start, grow, and sustain their businesses.
Access Bank also emerged the winner in the category – Best in MSME Financial Inclusion (Bank), getting ahead of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and Sterling Bank. This win by Access Bank is in recognition of their significant efforts to promote financial inclusion through their business practices, the products & services they offer, and their engagement with underserved communities.
In the MSME Bank of the Year category, Wema Bank, Access Bank and Sterling Bank were shortlisted but Sterling Bank emerged the winner.
Thus, Access Bank carted home two awards which was received by Mrs Abiodun Olupitan, Head, Women Banking & Emerging Banking Business, Access Bank.
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The Annual MSME Finance Awards was established to honour the innovative efforts of financial and non-financial institutions, including non-state actors, in enhancing MSMEs’ access to finance through advancements in financial inclusion, fintech, government policy, legal support, and capacity building. The annual Award is an adjacent extension and fall out of the Annual MSME & Start-up Summit conceptualised, curated and convened by The Economic Forum Series ® EFS since 2018.
For this 2024 maiden edition in conjunction with Nairametrics, Ugodre Obi-Chukwu, the CEO and Founder of Nairametrics, in giving his speech at the event stated that:
The MSME Finance Awards initiative seeks to:
• Recognise and reward innovation and impact in MSME finance
• Foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders
• Inspire and motivate others to support MSME growth….
Going further, the CEO of Nairametrics emphasised that, “The nominees (for the award) have been selected through a painstaking process, ensuring that only the most deserving are recognised”.
