About 40 Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs) have been empowered through the Wema Bank Export Trade Academy, a transformative programme designed to equip budding and young Nigerian businesses.
The programme, which first cohort has been wrapped up in Lagos, provides SMEs with essential skills, insights, and resources for entering and thriving in international trade and the global market.
Led by top industry facilitators like Bamidele Ayemibo, renowned as the ‘export doctor’ and authority in international trade education across Africa, and Nduka Udeh, founder of Shoptomydoor.com and a pioneer in cost-effective global logistics and procurement services, the five-day sessions delved into key areas of export documentation, compliance, financial planning, and risk management.
The 40 participating SMEs gained a comprehensive understanding of the export process, including the financial needs of exporters, global buyer expectations, and identifying potential international buyers. As a result, these SMEs now have the tools to approach global markets with greater knowledge, confidence, and strategy.
Reflecting on the academy’s impact, Ayemibo emphasised the importance of sustainable practices and real-world insights.
“What Wema Bank is trying to do is support SME businesses within the export space and those that are trying to come in, and that is what we have been doing over the past five days.
“The goal is to help those already doing exports to do it in a better and more sustainable way. The essence of the conversations we have had is for them to learn and implement. Some of them who are here are already exporting, and with the training they have now learned, they realised they are now doing some things wrongly and can do things better”, he said.
Tajudeen Bakare, division head of operations, general services, and BPR at Wema Bank, echoed this commitment. “We have over 40 participants from all over Nigeria in attendance, training them and equipping them with how to access financing for their export businesses.
“The SME businesses have established relationships with us; we are going to handhold them and grow their businesses. We are not just training and leaving them to struggle for themselves; we are going to equip them with the necessary resources, both financial and skills, that they require.
“It is going to be a partnership that begins with them”, he said.
Dele Badejo, one of the participants at the programme and importer, described the academy as a transformative experience for him.
“I have been in import for a few years, and I’m just going to start exporting. The scarcity of dollars has made me want to embrace export and for me, Wema Bank is doing a very laudable thing, because I see a lot of opportunities in export.
“Looking ahead of crude oil in Nigeria, there are better opportunities, even bigger opportunities that can create a lot of value chain for the country and the people also, I want to appreciate Wema Bank for thinking out of the box to bring out this initiative because I would be able to fund my export business”, said Badejo.
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