SME.NG partners with Bank of Industry to democratize access to finance

SME.NG’s e-market platform is set to go live with the aim to provide access to finance, wider market access, technical and business support to local female entrepreneurs. The new platform, which was unveiled on March 25, 2021, was introduced as a solution to the impact of COVID-19 on Nigerian female-owned businesses.

Speaking on the purpose of the Ebi Market Platform during its unveiling, Thelma Ekiyor, managing director, SME.NG, stated, “With Nigeria’s population increasing exponentially coupled with the global pandemic, economic opportunities are now limited and overstretched especially for the female entrepreneurs. The need to encourage, give access to finance and support these female entrepreneurs cannot be overemphasized. SME.NG, through this platform, aims to provide Nigerian female entrepreneurs the opportunity to grow their businesses through financial services, trading opportunities, advisory services, mentorship and networking and so much more”.

According to her, by providing female entrepreneurs with entrepreneurial opportunities to create wealth and support their livelihood, the Ebi Marketplace platform will help keep people in business, generate jobs and income.

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Deemed ‘Ebi Marketplace’, the platform is a one-stop shop solution for Nigerian female entrepreneurs. It is an all-inclusive platform that will democratize access to finance, financial inclusion and e-commerce for women entrepreneurs. The Ebi Marketplace will improve access to finance (grants, loans and investments), access to wider markets, access to technical and business support, and access to a job portal connecting female entrepreneurs to suitable staff. The platform will further allow entrepreneurs to connect and partner with other female entrepreneurs across the country, thus helping them transform their economies to become more independent, equitable, and sustainable.

The Ebi Marketplace platform will be Nigeria’s first all-women’s e-market platform, which is safe and user-friendly. The platform will also feature a Nigerian women’s SME directory with sector and location tags to expand the reach of products and services across Nigeria and beyond. The Ebi Marketplace will be all-inclusive and will be a one-stop-shop information portal of opportunities for female entrepreneurs. The platform will provide female entrepreneurs and their customers with a unique and seamless online trading and shopping experience. It also includes features that will help drive sales and boost revenues for women-owned businesses, as well as provide other resources that will enable female-owned businesses to thrive.
Commenting on Bank of Industry’s partnership with SME.NG, Adebisi Ajay, head of gender business, Bank of Industry, stated, “SME.NG e-market platform is important to support women entrepreneurs as they recover from COVID-19 pandemic. Digitization is central to boost resiliency”.

To join the Ebi Marketplace Platform, interested female entrepreneurs can register to be vendors on www.ebimarketplace.com. Women in cooperatives and associations are also encouraged to register on the platform. The Ebi marketplace will go live on August 1, 2021, and the App will be available for download on Play Store and Apple Store. Successful sign-ups would become vendors on the platform and can access all the benefits on the Ebi Marketplace Platform.