By Ngozi Onyeakusi—Ecobank Nigeria, a subsidiary of the Ecobank Group says all is set for its SME Conference on the use of Solar Energy as alternative source of power for businesses in Nigeria. The monthly virtual  conference is part of the Bank’s  MySME Growth Series designed to empower SMEs in the country. The conference is slated for Tuesday July 23 at 10am and it would be facilitated by Co-founder/CEO of Rana Energy, Abraham Mohammed.

Announcing the planned virtual conference in Lagos, Head, SME, Ecobank Nigeria, Omoboye Odu, said it is one of the several ways the bank supports its customers, stressing that the choice of the topic and a subject matter specialist as a guest speaker underscores the importance of power to the growth and development of small businesses.

According to her, the conference would also explore energy challenges as it affects small businesses, benefits of solar energy as an alternative source of power and how to transition to solar energy, adding that participants would also have the opportunity to ask pertinent questions.

She noted that “ this is part of our commitment as a bank to empower SMEs through knowledge sharing sessions, skills development, access to new markets and networking opportunities. We expect many Nigerians particularly those that are yet to have account with us to do so and avail themselves of the opportunities and top-notch services that we offer.”

Ecobank MySME Growth Series which started in February this year is designed to empower SMEs across the country. It is part of the bank’s commitment to train over 1 million SME operators in various sectors of the economy in 2024.  The training will provide resources for starting a business, registration processes, industry insights, and essential considerations for running a business. The series cover key topics such as accounting, credit, sales & marketing, taxation, and inventory management.

Additionally, articles on key topics like increasing sales, advertising ideas, business management practices, case studies, and leveraging technology are also provided.  Ecobank also plans to launch an SME Mentorship program to collaborate with successful entrepreneurs. Taken together, the MySME Growth Series reflects Ecobank’s dedication to fostering growth and success within the SME community