WEMA BANK SHINES AT GLOBAL SME FINANCE FORUM CONFERENCE AWARDS 2024

Awarded:

• SME Financier of the Year (Africa)

• Platinum Award for Best Financier for Women Entrepreneurs (Africa)

Wema Bank, Nigeria’s foremost innovative bank and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT, has won two prestigious awards at the Global SME Finance Forum Conference Awards 2024, held in São Paulo, Brazil, from September 16 to 18, 2024. The bank was recognized with the "SME Financier of the Year (Africa)" and the "Platinum Award for Best Financier for Women Entrepreneurs (Africa)."

The Global SME Finance Forum is the world’s leading platform, focusing solely on scaling SME financing worldwide. The Global SME Finance Forum Conference Awards, managed by this forum, acknowledge the effective and successful practices of financiers across the globe. The awards celebrate innovative products and services developed for SMEs and highlight financial institutions' impact on expanding access to finance for SMEs. At the 2024 edition, Wema Bank emerged as Africa’s top financier for both the general SME landscape and women-owned SMEs.

Recognized as the bank of choice for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Wema Bank has built a commendable track record of offering innovative, sustainable, and impactful products, services, and solutions for businesses of all sizes across Nigeria. The bank’s offerings range from affordable financing options and seamless payment collection solutions to access to markets, digital tools for efficient business operations, SME advisory services, and a wide array of products tailored to meet the needs of businesses nationwide. Through its women-focused proposition, SARA by Wema, the bank has developed offerings specifically for women, helping them build sustainable businesses and access the resources they need to scale and thrive. Additionally, Wema Bank supports women entrepreneurs with affordable healthcare packages.

Wema Bank's recognition as Africa’s top financier for SMEs, particularly women entrepreneurs, is well deserved.

Speaking on the bank’s commitment to empowering MSMEs, the MD/CEO of Wema Bank, Moruf Oseni, emphasized the bank’s vision. "MSMEs are the backbone of Nigeria’s economy. They are critical not only for reducing unemployment and addressing macroeconomic challenges but also for driving innovation and significantly boosting the economy towards national development. At Wema Bank, we recognize the potential MSMEs hold and the challenges they face. We are committed to providing accessible, affordable, and effective solutions tailored to businesses of all sizes, particularly women-owned businesses. There is a growing need for inclusive empowerment strategies to stimulate growth in the SME sector and bridge the gender gap. We have taken up the responsibility to meet that need. Our mission as a bank is to empower lives through innovation, and we will continue to seek new ways to help businesses achieve sustainable growth."

Oseni added, "We are honored by the global recognition from the Global SME Finance Forum. These awards reinforce our commitment to providing businesses with the resources they need, along with intelligent solutions that address challenges and make business management seamless, profitable, and efficient. We are grateful to the Global SME Finance Forum for this acknowledgment and to our valued customers for entrusting us with their businesses and financial well-being. This recognition highlights our dedication to fostering innovation in SME finance, driving us to consistently excel in accelerating growth for SMEs and delivering value to all stakeholders. We remain the bank of choice for MSMEs and women across Nigeria and will continue to empower them to thrive despite economic fluctuations."

Wema Bank continues to set new benchmarks in Nigeria’s banking and financial services industry, demonstrating a commitment to generating positive impact across various sectors and empowering businesses for success.

Businesses interested in accessing the bank’s tailored finance options and business-centric solutions are encouraged to visit [https://wemabank.com/smes](https://wemabank.com/smes) or send an email to *smehelpdesk@wemabank.com* to get started.