As part of their support for Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs), Union Bank recently concluded a series of business seminars in seven locations across the country including Aba, Lagos, Anambra, Kano, Kaduna, Abuja and Oyo.
The sessions themed ‘Managing a successful small Business’, were designed to provide practical information and guidance on how to address typical challenges small businesses face in Nigeria. The workshops included modules on sales and marketing, governance, succession planning and capacity building. In addition, attendees were equipped with relevant digital marketing and accounting skills to enable them to compete favourably in the Nigerian marketplace.
Some participants who attended the seminars thanked the Bank for the free training which they stated is sure to boost their businesses and the SME sector as a whole.
Union Bank’s SME support scheme also includes the provision of access to market, a conducive banking climate for investment and, easy access to finance for working capital through loan products that include non-collateral loans. The Bank’s commitment to SMEs earned it the ‘Best Bank to Support Nigeria’s Small and Medium Scale Enterprises’ award at the 2016 BusinessDay Annual Banking Awards.
Last year, in partnership with Co-Creation Hub, Union Bank launched a first-of-its-kind business acceleration programme ‘Start up Connect’ which provides an opportunity for Nigerian businesses creating technology-based solutions for the emerging African market, to partner with the Bank and the social innovation center for rapid growth.
Union Bank continues to operate various SME funding schemes to assist SMEs in financing, expanding markets and enhancing competitiveness in the marketplace.