FirstBank, West Africa’s premier financial institution and a leading provider of financial inclusion services, is set to host the next edition of its SMEConnect Webinar on Tuesday, 31 March 2026. The event is designed to equip small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the knowledge and practical tools to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive business growth.
This edition of SMEConnect has been strategically curated to guide SMEs on how AI can be applied to scale their businesses in today’s rapidly evolving digital economy. The theme, “AI for Business Growth: From Adoption to Integration and Scalable Impact,” underscores the growing importance of AI as one of the most transformative trends shaping the SME landscape. Participants will gain actionable insights on leveraging AI to enhance productivity, streamline operations, strengthen customer engagement, and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
The webinar will feature distinguished experts, including Temitope Odude, Senior AI Solutions Architect at Microsoft, who will offer credible, globally relevant perspectives on how SMEs can adopt and integrate AI into their everyday operations. FirstBank will also be represented by Abednego Ugwueke, Head of Digital Channels, and Ibidun Adedewe, Head of SME Acquisition & Partnerships, who will share insights on practical applications of AI for business efficiency.
Speaking ahead of the event, Chuma Ezirim, Group Executive, e-Business and Retail Products at FirstBank, said:
“SMEs are the backbone of the Nigerian economy, and at FirstBank, we recognise that the economy cannot thrive without them. As a committed growth partner to SMEs, this session reinforces our strong focus on innovation, demonstrated through initiatives such as the use of AI‑enabled credit scoring to deliver fast, instant loans to micro‑SMEs, with over ₦1 trillion disbursed to support customers’ financial needs. Building on this foundation, we are equipping business owners with the right knowledge and practical insights on Artificial Intelligence to help them scale in the short term and drive sustainable growth. I encourage every business owner to participate in this session to gain hands‑on guidance on integrating AI into everyday business operations.”
SME owners and entrepreneurs interested in attending can register for the webinar here.
The SMEConnect Webinar series is one of FirstBank’s signature platforms for supporting SMEs, offering practical knowledge, strategic insights, and innovative solutions. Over the years, FirstBank has been recognized for its commitment to SMEs and customer-focused innovation. Notably, the Bank was named Best SME Bank in Nigeria and Best SME Bank in Africa by TAB Global Excellence in Retail Finance Awards for two consecutive years as of 2025. Additionally, it received the SME Financier of the Year – Nigeria award from The Digital Banker.
By combining financial support with educational initiatives such as SMEConnect, FirstBank continues to reinforce its role as a trusted partner to SMEs, helping business owners harness technology, scale operations, and achieve sustainable growth in Nigeria’s competitive economic landscape.