Heritage Bank Supports SMEs’ Growth

Ifie-Sekibo

Heritage Bank Limited said it has concluded plans to lead business and finance experts to discuss growth opportunities for small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) at the 7th Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) SMEs’ annual conference.

The conference, which holds this Wednesday, is organised annually by the EDC of the Pan Atlantic University (PAU). The theme for this year’s conference sponsored by the bank is: ‘Models, Markets, Money -Positioning Your Organisation.’

A statement at the weekend quoted the Group Head, SME, Heritage Bank; Mr. Bayo Ogunnusi, said the bank was sponsoring the conference as part of its commitment to helping SMEs build the capacity needed to grow their business. He said the move would also create opportunities for more SME operators to know and access the various SME funding support services of the bank.

“We want to help SMEs grow but we also realise that in addition to money, they need knowledge. You can give money to somebody but how does he or she manage the money? They also need knowledge in other areas like human resource, marketing, information technology, and how to put these things together to form a structure.

“So our partnering EDC is on the training, and to reach a larger set of people. They have a lot of alumni, thousands of people they have trained. So that is how we are going to reach out to them, because they already have a structure, they have passed through the training. So we are saying, you guys that already have a structure, come and take money from us,” he explained.

The conference would provide opportunities for SME operators to receive first hand information from finance and business experts including the Director General, Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyeama, Managing Director/Chief Executive, Belloxi Biscuits, Mr. Obi Ezeude, President, Anabel Group, Mr. Nicholas Okoye, and Emmanuel Okoli of Light House Asset Management Company.

Other speakers expected at the conference are Chima Nnadozie of Diamond Bank, Kunle Oketikun of Fortis Microfinance Bank, Oludara Talabi of Talion Capital, Babatunde Okupa of First Atlantic Oil and Gas, Helen Emore of Warri Industrial Park, and Deji Agboade of  BPI Advisory.

The bank further said its sponsorship of the conference would be an extension of its partnership with the EDC to boost development of the SMEs sector in Nigeria.

September 23, 2013