Pan-Atlantic University’s Enterprise Development Centre, EDC, has commended Diamond Bank Plc, a leading retail bank in Nigeria, for its robust and unwavering support for young and up and coming entrepreneurs in the country.
Speaking at the Global Entrepreneurship Week in Lagos, where the bank was recognized as a sponsor at a National Scale, Peter Bankole, Director, EDC, said that Diamond Bank, through its array of MSME-friendly products and propositions, has contributed significantly to the development of the sector in recent years, noting that the Bank’s robust initiative for MSMEs has aided a lot in stimulating employment in the country.
“Diamond Bank has done a lot in the development of the economy through her support for the Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs). The initiatives of the bank have positively impacted areas such as employment generation, advisory support services to MSMEs and access to finance for entrepreneurs,” he said.
Speaking on the Bank’s itch for entrepreneurial development, Ayona Trimnell, Head Corporate Communication, stated that Diamond Bank is very passionate about MSMEs development in the country, and drives the initiative through its Building Entrepreneurs Today (BET). According to her, the programme is structured for capacity building, business education training aimed specifically at generating interest in entrepreneurship and driving employment and entrepreneurship in the economy.
“This initiative has contributed immensely to the pool of skilled small and medium scale entrepreneurs in the country and by extension enduring wealth creation across the populace. What we do is that at the end of the training, the top five (5) entrepreneurs are awarded the sum of three million naira (N3,000,000) grant to take their businesses to the next level. Since inception, over 1000 businesses have benefitted from this training programme.”
While responding to the recognition and award, Chima Nnadozie, Head, MSMEs Propositions, Diamond Bank, said the bank’s focus on MSMEs is borne out of the need to contribute to the development of the sector which in turn would positively impact the country’s economy.
“At Diamond Bank, we recognize the strategic role that the MSMEs could play in the country’s economy if the potentials are well harnessed. The entrepreneurs need business support in terms of advisory services and access to funding. The bank has been faithfully doing these over the years and we have testimonies to show that our efforts are already paying off,” he said.
