At the event held in Lagos on Thursday, Access Bank, LAPO
Microfinance Bank, Fidelity Bank and First City Monument Bank, received
recognition awards from DBN as most active PFIs in loan disbursement to MSMEs
in Nigeria for the year 2020.
Access Bank and First City Monument Bank were both bestowed
with a Platinum Service Ambassador award for showing support and providing
innovative solutions for SMEs affected by Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, FCMB
also got a recognition award for recording the most impact in terms of total
end-borrowers financed.
It was double honour for LAPO Microfinance Bank, which was
awarded as the Bank with Highest Loan Disbursement to Youth and Women Owned
SMEs, while Fidelity Bank bagged the award of having Highest Loan Disbursement
to DBN Focused Locations. Wema Bank Plc. received a Special Recognition Award
as the first commercial Bank to draw from the DBN financing scheme and for
being committed to driving growth in the MSME ecosystem.
In his welcome address, DBN Managing Director, Tony
Okpanachi, appreciated the PFIs which according to him have been crucial to
achieving the bank’s objective. “We appreciate your partnership. You have made
our objectives possible.
We are a wholesale financial institution, which means we
can’t achieve our on-lending mandate without the commercial banks. Another part
of our mandate is capacity building and some of you are participating in this
technical aspect as well. We count on you to continue supporting us to alleviate
the problems of SMEs who are the bedrocks of the Nigerian economy,” he said.
The Chief Operating Officer, Bonaventure Okhaimo said as the
first and only wholesale development financial institution in the country, DBN
is passionate about MSMEs. “Our aim is to see that MSMEs get the value they
deserve.
To alleviate their challenges, we have discussed N433b to
SMEs. Over 140,000 MSMEs have been impacted. We however have over 41 million
MSMEs in Nigeria which means that we’ve not even scratched the surface in terms
of funding them. But with the help of our PFIs, we were able to record 214%
Year on Year disbursement growth despite the economic and social barriers
enforced by Covid-19. This ceremony is to thank you for your support.”
Receiving the award, MD/CEO, Yemisi Edun said “This award is
a recognition of our contribution to SMEs growth. We saw that the vision of DBN
aligns with our objectives. And from them, we saw DBN as a partner we need to
grow the economy. We will continue to do our best to ensure we meet the
objectives of both institutions.”
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