By Modupe Gbadeyanka
All is now set for the launch of a bespoke women empowerment proposition of the Ecobank Group called Ellevate on Wednesday, July 7, 2021.
The special guest of honour is the Managing Director, Development Bank of Nigeria, Mr Tony Okpanachi, while the panellists are the founder, Health Africa, Fola Laoye; founder, Braveline Growth Partners, Taba Peterside; and founder of Ruff n Tumble, Nike Ogunlesi.
The event will be moderated by Tolulope Babajide, the Innovations and Partnerships Advisor on (Nigeria for Women Project), a World Bank-supported project.
A statement from the lender disclosed the initiative, being launched in the 33 African countries the bank operates, is targeted at empowering women-owned, and women-focused businesses in Nigeria.
It underscores the bank’s commitment to empowering women by providing the platforms and opportunities for them to thrive as Ecobank understands that women’s needs are unique and has put in place the appropriate resources to meet those needs.
“With Ellevate, we recognise and acknowledge the critical role of women in society. Ellevate offers women-owned businesses a wide-reaching suite of solutions, incorporating smarter money management, discounted financing and value-added services to deliver, that female entrepreneurs need at the right time.
“We will work with the private sector and other interest groups to realise this. Ellevate offers end-to-end, differentiated business solutions, financial support, advisory services and networking opportunities for businesses in Nigeria that are managed and owned by women.
“In developing Ellevate, Ecobank took into consideration what women require from their bankers and successfully came up with pragmatic solutions that will help bridge identified gaps,” the Executive Director, Commercial Banking, Ms Carol Oyedeji, stated.
Further, she said Ecobank Nigeria remains a women-friendly bank, that has many initiatives and innovative products targeted at empowering female entrepreneurs.
One of these is the Ecobank Female Entrepreneurs’ Initiative (EFEI), a platform designed to empower and support women-owned small-scale businesses.
In addition, there are business loans for SMEs, inventory finance for key distributors, shop owner’s facility for traders, purchase order and invoice discounting, asset finance and agriculture finance among other laudable offerings.
