Global Entrepreneurship Network Nigeria has said it is partnering with Providus Bank to give upcoming entrepreneurs access to finance, capacity building, networking opportunity and ecosystem development.

A statement said this was to deepen entrepreneurship skills of Nigerians and drive growth in the sector.

It stated that the briefing to announce the signing of the ‘Unite and collaborate for strategic Partnership’ agreement between both organisations took place at the Providus Bank headquarters in Lagos.

It was attended by the Managing Director, GEN Nigeria, Dr. Olawale Anifowose, Team Lead, Strategic Partnership and Businesses Development, Providus Bank, Ms Oluwadamilola Feyide, and Director, Enterprise Development and Promotion, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria, Mr Monday Ewans.

Others are Head, Strategy and Business Development, Providus Bank, Ernest Elue, strategic partners and previous winners of GEN Nigeria competitions.

Speaking at the event, Anifowose said, “This partnership basically means that the work we are doing at the Global Entrepreneurship Network Nigeria can be scaled.

“For the better part of our activities of GEN Nigeria, we only focus on three or four states, but with this partnership, we are able to scale it to 20 locations and that is very significant for us because we want to make the resources and reach more accessible for Nigerians.”

Under the partnership, the statement added, GEN Nigeria and Providus Bank would collaborate on various activities including entrepreneurship programmes.

Feyide said, ‘As part of this one-year strategic partnership, GEN Nigeria and Providus Bank will join forces to further enhance the entrepreneurial landscape in Nigeria.