Banking
Small Business Owners in Edo Hail Wema Bank for Support
By Dipo Olowookere
Wema Bank Plc has been praised by small business owners in Edo State for equipping them with the skills needed to scale up their operations.
Between May 22 and 26, 2023, the financial institution trained 250 participants on business management skills, entrepreneurial knowledge, and financial and marketing management skills to boost the success of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the South-South region of the country.
The workshop, organised under the Wema Bank SME Business School, was the fifth edition held at the Uyi Grand Event Centre, Benin City, the state capital, and comprised SME customers and non-customers.
One of the beneficiaries, Ms Edith Igabali, commended Wema Bank for the knowledge-laden seminar which has broadened her perspective on SME management.
“Wema Bank is trying for me; they have made me what I am today. The session was power packed, fun, and educative,” she said.
Another participant and SME owner, Ms Love Onobrakpor, expressed gratitude to the bank for the highly impactful programme, adding that she had no regrets about taking time off work to attend the one-week session. “It was interesting and highly interactive, well worth it,” she stated.
For Ms Precious Izedonmi, she said, “I have been greatly impacted, and I am grateful for the privilege; it can never be trivialized.”
The Head of SME Banking at Wema Bank, Mr Arthur Nkemeh, after the session, expressed his appreciation to “our partners and every facilitator for the session and most importantly our customers who trust us to give them excellent financial services.”
“We will continue to offer superior customer service to our customers with business facilities and advisory services that will help scale up their business; this is one of the many offers to come from Wema Bank,” he said.
The Wema Bank SME Business School was launched in Lagos in 2021 to boost the capacity and skills of SMEs to help them achieve their business objectives.
The second edition took place virtually, while the third and fourth editions happened in Abuja and Port Harcourt, respectively.
The Edo State edition had a very rich and relevant curriculum that directly addressed the issues within the Nigerian SME sector.
The faculty and facilitators also comprised experienced and highly knowledgeable experts in various fields who made the training not only worth the while but beneficial in terms of knowledge gained and new insights revealed about SME management.
The curriculum included a macroeconomic review of the Nigerian economy, business strategy formulation and execution, sales and marketing, customer experience value management, financial management, sustainability, leadership, communication and people management.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
In recognition of its strategic leadership in advancing the growth and resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Union Bank of Nigeria Plc has been honoured by the Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON).
The lender was rewarded by the group for its suite of solutions designed to enable business expansion and long-term value creation.
At the Nigeria National SME Business Awards, held recently in Lagos, Union Bank was given the Best SME Growth Banking Initiatives Award for 2025.
The ceremony was organised by ASBON in partnership with the Lagos State government through the Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment.
The event convened stakeholders from the public and private sectors to recognise individuals and organisations driving meaningful impact across Nigeria’s SME ecosystem.
Receiving the award on behalf of the bank, its Head of SME Segment, Mr Ayokunnumi Abraham, described the recognition as a strong endorsement of the organisation’s commitment to supporting small and medium-sized businesses.
“We are honoured to receive this recognition, which reflects Union Bank’s continued commitment to helping SMEs grow by making banking simpler, faster, and more accessible.
“Through enhancements to our specialised platforms such as Union360, we have meaningfully reduced the time it takes for businesses to come on board and begin transacting.
“These improvements have shortened onboarding, increased digital adoption among our SME customers, and supported the acquisition of new business clients. Our focus remains on delivering practical solutions that help Nigerian businesses thrive,” he stated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The stellar contributions of Polaris Bank Limited to youth employment, talent development, and workforce empowerment across Nigeria have not gone unnoticed, as the company was recently recognised at an event in Lagos.
At the 2026 Jobberman Partners’ Convening, the financial institution was bestowed with the Private Sector Champion Award.
The award recognises private sector organisations that have demonstrated exceptional commitment and leadership in advancing youth employability through impactful recruitment initiatives, graduate trainee programmes, executive hiring support, candidate assessment programmes, and strategic partnerships that create sustainable career opportunities for young Nigerians.
Themed From Impact to Action: Collectively Designing the Future of Youth Employment in Nigeria, the convening focused on fostering collaboration between the private sector and other stakeholders to expand access to meaningful employment opportunities and equip young Nigerians with the skills and opportunities required to succeed in an evolving economy.
On the recognition, Jobberman commended Polaris Bank for consistently going beyond transactional partnerships to deliver measurable impact within Nigeria’s employment ecosystem. The renowned recruitment firm described Polaris Bank as a credible and purpose-driven institution committed to advancing youth employability and supporting the future of work in Nigeria.
The Head of Talent Management at Polaris Bank, Ms Cynthia Sanyaolu, reaffirmed the lender’s commitment to empowering young Nigerians and strengthening the nation’s workforce through strategic people-focused initiatives designed to create long-term economic and social impact.
“This recognition reflects Polaris Bank’s unwavering belief in the potential of the Nigerian youths and our commitment to building platforms that enable them to thrive professionally and economically.
“At Polaris Bank, we see talent development and youth empowerment as critical drivers of national growth and sustainable development,” she stated.
Over the years, Polaris Bank has continued to invest in initiatives that promote learning, career growth, workforce inclusion, and economic empowerment.
Through strategic Graduate Trainee recruitment programmes via its flagship Polaris Graduate Intensive Training (PGIT) and Polaris Tech Ignite Training (TechIGNITE), among other talent development initiatives, and collaborative partnerships, the bank remains committed to supporting the next generation of Nigerian professionals while contributing to national development.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Plans are underway by Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) to approach the international debt market for a capital raise.
The parent company of the Ecobank Group intends to use proceeds from the proposed exercise to refinance “the concurrent any-and-all tender offer of the ETI $350 million 8.750 per cent tier 2 notes due June 2031.”
However, the issuance of the notes is subject to prevailing market conditions and the conclusion of the necessary transaction documentation, a statement signed by the organisation’s chief financial officer, Mr Ayo Adepoju, stressed.
After issuance, the debt instrument may be listed on the London Stock Exchange, with the expectation that the bonds will be traded on its regulated market.
Ecobank noted that it would allocate an amount equivalent to the full net proceeds of the issue of the notes to finance or refinance, in part or in full, new and/or existing eligible assets as described in its Green Bond Framework (Ecobank-Sustainability), as amended and supplemented from time to time.
Ecobank, which has banking operations in 34 countries in Africa, is listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, the Ghana Stock Exchange and the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (Stock Exchanges).
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