Wema Bank has charged stakeholders to prioritise digital empowerment for MSMEs as a measure for championing a sustainable MSME ecosystem in Nigeria.

The charge was made at the International MSMEs Day and MSMEs Awards Night 2024; a two-fold event organised by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Office of the Vice President in commemoration of the World MSME Day 2024.

The International MSMEs Day and MSME Awards Night, held in Abuja, was a celebration targeted at not only acknowledging the successes in the Nigerian MSMEs sector, but also developing sustainable solutions for the continuous growth and development of the sector to ultimately boost the Nigerian economy.

Tunde Mabawonku, Wema's Executive Director of Retail and Digital Business, who represented Moruf Oseni, the MD/CEO of Wema Bank, emphasised the pressing need to prioritise technology and digital empowerment in addition to capacity development, financial empowerment and collaborative efforts towards building a supportive ecosystem for MSMEs to thrive.

In a statement, he said, "At Wema Bank, our approach embodies the saying, 'Give a man fish, he will come back, but teach a man to fish, he will learn to fend for himself and others.' Technology and digital are the future, and intelligence is here to stay. What we are doing for these MSMEs is beyond providing the finances they need. We are also focusing on empowering them with relevant and transferrable digital skills to ensure they are not left behind in this digital evolution. What are the skills they need to sell in this fast-growing digital world? To operate effectively? To compete? To maximise the resources at their disposal? These are the questions that drive us at Wema Bank."

He added that Wema Bank continued to prove its mettle not just as an enabler for MSMEs, but also as the partner of choice for all.

At the event, the bank also awarded a brand new car to the female winner of the "Outstanding MSME Clinic" category, in addition to the N2,000,000 prize slated for the category.