The First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has launched an accelerator programme to upskill and grow over one million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria.
The bank aims to upskill about one million Small and SMEs through a Technical Assistance grant of N284.7 million from Proparco (the private-sector arm of the French Development Agency) and another N227 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB).
These will enable FCMB to facilitate the successful onboarding and empowerment of SMEs, including women entrepreneurs, under its SheVentures proposition and those operating in high-impact sectors (agriculture, renewable energy, digital).
To kick off the programme, First City Monument Bank awarded N50 million in grants to 200 SMEs who participated in the first training session. This announcement was made at an event celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week 2023.
‘The FCMB Accelerator Programme reaffirms our dedication to empowering businesses effectively,’ said FCMB’s Group Head of SME banking, George Ogbonnaya. ‘We want to inspire Nigerians to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and build a portfolio of ready businesses that can transform Nigeria’s economy,’ he said.
