To ensure sustainable food security in the country, Access Bank has invested over N200 billion, which has benefited over 10,000 persons across the agricultural business value chain.
The move, the lender said, was to achieve sustainable food security across the nation, create jobs and address specific customer needs in line with market realities.
Team Lead, Agric Business, Commercial Banking Division, Access Bank, Emmanuel Makinwa, said this at a press conference to unveil the bank’s specialised desks, which focus on agriculture and development.
He said the venture has impacted greatly and helped customers grow their businesses, which spreads across small farmholder partners, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), groups and large corporate organisations.
On the benefits, he said it provides specialised products, such as financials and non-financials, advisory services, capacity building, stakeholders’ engagement and develops products that address consumers’ needs.
On how the processes work, Makinwa said it gives room for credit checks, loan disbursement, reviews and ensures product tenure aligns with the gestation period.
Speaking on how it has strengthened its development-banking desk to drive sustainable development in Nigeria and across the African continent, the lender’s Executive Director of the Commercial Bank Division, Hadiza Ambursa, said the vision was to drive economic empowerment and financial inclusion by providing specialised financial products and services to businesses, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and institutions that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through the initiative, she said the bank aimed to support and nurture the growth of the entities, fostering a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem in Nigeria and beyond.
“We hope to achieve our audacious goals in development banking by helping to boost bilateral and multilateral banking relationships, manage the donor funds and the programmes the funds are meant for, support projects and initiatives that are channeled towards the common good of the public,” she stated.
In the same vein, Head, Development Banking Desk, Ambur Sule, said: “The desk serves as a conduit for global funds and resources, bolstering the bank’s influence in the African region and fortifying Nigeria’s position on the international development stage. Our collaborations with esteemed NGOs and institutions as a partner are instrumental in driving inclusive growth, deepening financial inclusion, reducing poverty and boosting infrastructure development in Nigeria.”
No comments
Post a Comment