Ecobank restates commitment to SMES, agric sectors

Ecobank Nigeria has restated its commitment to support and sustain the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMES) in all sectors including the Agriculture sector of the nation’s economy, following the emerging economic climate. This was the submission of speakers at the Ecobank Webinar held recently in Lagos.

In his presentation tagged: Harnessing CBN and other funding opportunities for small and medium enterprises in the emerging economic climate, Emeka Agada, head, SME, Ecobank Nigeria, stated that the bank will continue to harness and explore the various CBN intervention schemes and other funding and trade opportunities provided by Ecobank Nigeria for small businesses . He further added that Ecobank has also made available solutions that enhance trade through provision of working capital and digital platforms for payments and collections.

According to him, Ecobank recognises that one of the ways of creating jobs, reducing poverty and achieving economic growth and development is by the timely extension of credit to businesses, stressing that the bank is a big player in financial intermediation in that sub sector.

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“Ecobank is a major player in the SME space. We have won several awards in this regard. Which is why Ecobank is commonly referred to as the SME friendly bank. We will continue to partner with CBN and other funding partners to play the important role of promoting economic growth and development through the process of financial intermediation in the sub sector under any circumstance” he said.

Agada listed business loans offered by Ecobank to SMES as merchant advance for businesses using digital collection channels, inventory finance for key distributors, shop owners facility for traders, purchase order and invoice discounting, asset finance, agriculture finance amongst others. He further stated that the bank also supports trade by providing solutions for facilitating onshore and off-shore activities such as export finance, import finance, bonds, guarantees, small scale import forex via form Q etc. He further stated that Ecobank is also a major participant in the CBN Interventions such as Creative Industry Initiative (CIFI), Healthcare Intervention Fund, Real Sector Support Facility(rssf) and all Agric related intervention funds amongst others.

Moji Oguntoyinbo, head, Agribusiness, Ecobank Nigeria, in her presentation titledHarnessing CBN and other Ecobank funding opportunities for Agric business in the emerging economic climate, said Ecobank, is sustaining its commitment to the agriculture sector in partnership with NIRSAL and some other developmental institutions in the next two to three years.

According to her, Ecobank is a partner with the CBN in all its intervention schemes and programs which are focused on the development of the agricultural sector. ‘’This relationship is generating activities across the entire value chain of the sector’’, she stated.

Hope Moses-Ashike

Hope Moses-Ashike is an Associate Editor, Banking and Finance, with more than a decade of experience reporting on Nigeria’s financial system and broader economy. She closely tracks market movements, monetary policy decisions, company disclosures, regulatory actions, economic indicators, and global developments, and interprets what they mean for businesses, investors, policymakers, and households. Her reporting helps readers understand complex issues such as inflation trends, foreign exchange market dynamics, interest rate decisions, bank performance, and investment risks. She also covers major international events and periodically travels to Washington, D.C., to report on the World Bank/IMF Spring and Annual Meetings. Her dedication to financial journalism has earned her multiple recognitions and invitations to high-level professional development programmes. She is an alumna of the International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP) in the United States and holds an Advanced Financial Journalism Certificate from the Press Association Training in London, UK. Her other notable achievements include completing the Lagos Business School CMC Programme, the Bloomberg Media Africa Initiative Programme, and a Master Class in Journalism at Rhodes University in South Africa.