DBN Promises to Drive MSMEs Growth in Northern Nigeria

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has restated its commitment to empowering Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in northern Nigeria.

The Managing Director of DBN, Mr Tony Okpanachi, said this while speaking at a stakeholders conference organised by SDF, Kano Concerned Citizens in collaboration with DBN on Thursday in Kano.

He said empowerment and capacity building of the MSMEs would address challenges confronting the sector in Kano, Jigawa and Northern Nigeria as a whole.

“For a commercial centre like Kano, it’s important to build ecosystems that will keep sustaining all businesses and families that depend on it.

“It is about the youthful population, and what we can do is to keep them engaged; that’s why the theme Rise of commercial activities from our youths fits perfectly with what we stand for at DBN,” he explained.

The DBN boss explained that the bank hosted its second annual MSMEs summit in Kano in collaboration with the state government, and it helped them to further cement their key value proposition within the North.

According to him, they are back in Kano and hold the power to shape destinies, to alter trajectories, and to create a brighter future for the young people of Kano and Jigawa states and the North as a whole.

“Our mission is not merely financial but deeply rooted in the belief that sustainable development is the cornerstone of a prosperous society.

“Through the conversations today, we will reaffirm our commitment to catalyze change, to ignite hope, and to bridge the financial divide that has held back the potential of this region for far too long.

“We know that collaborations with laudable organisations such as SDF and Kano Concerned Citizens initiative will continue to nurture sustainable enterprises, bolster community development, and facilitate knowledge transfer that enables the growth of enterprises within the northern region,” he said.