Access Bank Plc, in partnership with She Leads Africa, have concluded the first phase of a Facebook programme to assist female entrepreneurs leverage digital platforms to drive growth in their businesses.
Amaechi Okobi, Group Head, Corporate Communications, Access Bank Plc, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos.
Okobi said that the programme, which has the theme: “#SheMeansBusiness’’ was aimed at scaling up the skills of small business owners to leverage social media platforms in accessing more markets in Nigeria and beyond.
He said that the training which kicked off in June was held in Abuja, Lagos, Enugu and Ibadan with over 500 female business owners in attendance.
Speaking on the programme, Victor Etuokwu, Executive Director, Retail Banking, Access Bank Plc, said the bank was always at the forefront of leveraging technology to drive emerging businesses.
“The idea behind this partnership and empowerment programme is to give our SME customers an opportunity to expand their access to market and increase their visibility to potential customers.
“There are over two billion people on Facebook globally and over 65 billion WhatsApp messages exchanged globally on a daily basis.
“With the right knowledge, our customers can showcase their products to large audiences as well as get leads that will take their businesses forward,” he said.
Etuokwu said that Access Bank intended to fulfill its promise as the largest retail bank in Africa to provide not just financial services, but also non-financial services. He said the bank’s intention was based on the knowledge that when its customers succeed it would trickle down to the bank. Also, Chigozie Onyeocha, Regional and Sales Director, Lagos Mainland of Access Bank, said the bank believed that if SMEs are well supported, the country’s economy would benefit in return.