Ecobank Nigeria has articulated its vision to propel the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) participating in its annual ‘Oja Oge’ marketplace towards global opportunities and expansion.
This ambition was highlighted on Friday by the Head of SME and Partnership at Ecobank Nigeria, Omoboye Odu, during the press briefing marking the opening day of the fashion-centric marketplace.
The ‘Oja Oge by Ecobank Pop-Up Marketplace’, now in its second edition, is a three-day exhibition spanning fashion, beauty, wellness, and lifestyle sectors. The event, scheduled from April 18th to 20th, 2025, boasts a lineup of prominent exhibitors, including Adidas, House of Tara, Winston Leather, Ava and George Children’s Clothing, Chenche Clothing, and Lush Hair, among others.
Odu, characterizing Ecobank Nigeria as the “SME-solution Bank,” emphasized the platform's role for creatives within the fashion industry, encompassing apparel, lingerie, jewelry, and accessories. "It’s a platform for creatives in the fashion space; be it apparel, lingerie, jewellery, accessories, you name it. Everything is extremely tight, so we give them a platform where they can bring their things and show them to a larger market," Odu explained.
She further underscored the bank's vested interest in the success of these SMEs. "More importantly, we want these SMEs to succeed because when they succeed, we succeed. So our solution is to get that local SME to a global level, to a global impact, and then change our narrative as a country," Odu stated, highlighting the broader economic aspirations tied to SME growth.
Beyond merely offering a space for transactions, Odu detailed the bank’s active involvement in establishing foundational structures for business longevity among the participating SMEs. "What we’re doing is teaching them to separate business from self. Teach them to put in the right governance structures. We have made all of them set up separate accounts for the business and themselves. So they separate the two entities. Then we can actually measure how the business is doing," she elaborated.
Odu also pointed out a deliberate curatorial focus at this year’s ‘Oja Oge’ on showcasing indigenous designs and local craftsmanship. "We’re seeing a deliberate effort to make it less contemporary and more ethnic this year. Even the setup of the hall was done by some artisans from Kano. Just to show you how we can use our local materials, bamboo and raffia, to make something beautiful," she affirmed, highlighting the promotion of local artistry.
Adding to this perspective, the Head of Corporate Communication at Ecobank, Austen Asokpor, emphasized the sustained benefits that the participating SMEs derive from the marketplace beyond the event itself. "Those SMEs you see here, they are getting calls from everywhere. The after-sales are usually even greater than the sales at the exhibition, and that’s a good thing for them. We are encouraging them to come, and let’s make them into an international brand," Asokpor noted, underscoring the long-term impact of the initiative.
Asokpor also highlighted the bank's existing infrastructure to support this global vision. "We have what we call the Ecobank Single Market Trade Hub, where businesses across the continent can connect and reach more customers," he said, indicating a clear pathway for the showcased SMEs to tap into broader African markets and potentially beyond.