Sterling Bank Restates Support for SMEs

Peter Uzoho

As the 12th edition of LEAP Africa CEO’S Forum holds in Lagos today, one of the sponsors of the event, Sterling Bank Plc has restated its commitment to the support of entrepreneurs.

Speaking at a media briefing at the bank’s headquarters, ahead of the forum holding at the Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, today, the Chief Marketing Officer, Sterling Bank, Mr Henry Bassey, said as a bank that touches lives, it would continue to support the programmes of LEAP Africa which it said was targeted at helping SMEs grow their businesses.

Bassey disclosed that the bank was planning to be big on retail and to be able to position itself with more digitally-savvy products intended to serve young entrepreneurs.

“LEAP Africa CEO’S Forum is a programme we’ve been supporting for three years now. Another one is coming up tomorrow, and as a bank that reaches life, we’re going to support LEAP Africa this year also. We’re planning to be big on retail; we’re planning to be able to position with a lot more digitally-savvy products, and we know that SMEs and the young entrepreneurs are the ones that really consume those products.

“So we’re going to see a lot of communications and solutions that are targeted at these audiences from a Sterling Bank perspective”, Bassey added.

Giving highlights of the event, Founder, LEAP Africa, Mrs Ndidi Nwuneli, said the forum which has the theme: “Managing Growth for Profitabilitry”, would discuss challenges small and medium scale businesses encounter when facing rapid growth. She noted that the event would also address certain considerations taken during the growth and expansion lifecycle, and guide entrepreneurs in identifying and understanding the people, management, strategies, innovative marketing, financial factors and choices that fuel survival.

Also speaking, Director of Programmes, LEAP Africa, Mr Femi Taiwo, said: “Basically beyond the CEO’S Forum holding tomorrow, we’re looking at different business sustainability programmes just to enable SME specialists scale up their business, get the required skills they need, get the knowledge and also have real hands-on experience.”

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