By Ashemiriogwa Emmanuel
Wema Bank Plc has launched a free business school streamlined for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as part of its commitment to the growth and development of Nigerian business owners.
The tuition-free business school was unveiled on Wednesday and was designed to equip 3,000 SMEs in the next two years with the fundamental knowledge required in business management so as to help-seeking business owners thrive efficiently in their ventures.
Speaking on the development, the bank’s retail divisional head, Mr Dotun Ifebogun, said the free program was created to solve the problem of poor business structure and management faced by most SMEs in the country by closing the yawning gap of ignorance.
According to him, “As an SME-friendly bank, we understand that starting and running a business in Nigeria is no small feat, and there are lots of challenges that SMEs face.
“We have launched the SME business school to equip them with relevant and practical knowledge to guide them in the effective running of their business and to surmount any challenge they encounter.
“We realized we can tackle problems such as access to finance, market access, dealing with tech disruptions and multiple taxation. We decided to drive this with the business school.
“The idea is to provide advisory services and equip them with fresh ideas and insights to take their business to another level.”
He also mentioned that the bank has the support from Frankfurt School of Finance and Management in Germany and capable facilitators from outside Nigeria to see the program through.
The school, as explained by the retail divisional head, will hold twice a year across different regions in the country, kicking off in Lagos with online and in-class sessions which will stretch for five days.
Aduragbemi Omiyale 
Dipo Olowookere