Bankers’ Committee Launches SME Funding Scheme
The Bankers’ Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has launched a new scheme engineered to give Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises the enablement to gain access to loans, funds, and grants to cultivate their ventures. The initiative was christened as the Funding Nigeria Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises, a step which is in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to helping SMEs expand.
Bonaventure Okhaimo, the Group Head of Information Technology and Operations Directorate, Unity Bank Plc., remarked that “In a bid to create awareness, we are organizing a one-day public enlightenment workshop. The event will be held across three states of the federation and we will be centering the discussions on how SMEs can gain access to funds, loans, and grants that are available in the Funding Nigeria SMEs’s scheme”
He further informed that the initiative as part of the economic diversification of the government as regards the increasing of easy access to funds for SMEs, “Is tailored to growing small and medium-scale businesses for effective contribution to the Nigerian economy”. He pointed out that sensitization workshops are scheduled to hold in Lagos and Kano this month and Aba in August.
According to him, the workshops would be facilitated by experts from Deposit Money Banks, the CBN, the Ease of Doing Business group, Bank of Agriculture, BoI and SMEDAN. He urged SMEs, especially owners of agro-businesses, farmers, local producers, and fabricators to take advantage of the opportunity of accessing fund by registering for the event – described as the first step of the many that involve being beneficiaries of the initiative.
