THE FUTURE OF SME BANKING IN NIGERIA
About SME Conference
Ten years ago funding was top on the list of the challenges that bedeviled SMEs growth in Nigeria. Although funding is still a challenge, it has been helped by a number of funding pools established in the last five years, including the N220 billion SME fund, the N26 billion Agriculture SME fund and other CBN mandated banking sector funds for SMEs.
As the challenges posed by funding begin to ease there is a need to begin to look at what is next in terms of SME banking in Nigeria, giving the rapidly changing business environment and the growth of fintech companies. To this end, we are putting together a one-day event to address a broad range of issues around the new frontiers of SME banking.
The event is conceptualized to challenge the banking system in Nigeria through the regulator (CBN) to move to the next frontiers in SME Banking. The conference will examine the observed paradigm shift in SME financing; How banks can collaborate with startups for better SME banking; Supporting Scale-Ups and how to be innovative in SME banking, customer experience reinvention: from lending to growing and digitization, among others.
Secondly, the Economic Recovery Growth Plan, a three-year medium-term plan of the current administration has been designed to restore economic growth and is hinged on five key priorities, including driving industrialization through small and medium scale enterprises.
One major strategy of the ERGP is to accelerate the implementation of the National Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) through Special Economic Zones (SEZs), focusing on priority sectors to generate jobs, promote exports, boost growth and upgrade skills to create 1.5 million jobs by 2020. A revitalized manufacturing sector will create jobs, stimulate foreign exchange earnings and grow micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The conference will also examine the window of opportunities for SMEs in this laudable policy and how far we are into achieving set targets.
Event Expected Outcome
This event will provide useful and usable insights into what gaps exist and what the managers of SME banking must do to put SME banking on the pedestal for greater impact on SMEs and profit for the banks so that the commitment of the CBN and other development banks in making SMEs in Nigeria take the lead in the continuous march to economic growth and development, job creation and employment generation a realizable goal.
Event Objectives
* To show what the new focus in SME banking in Nigeria should be and how non – banking products and services can help the growth of SMEs in Nigeria.
* To upscale the role of insurance and guarantees for the sector
* To explore opportunities as provided in the economic growth recovery plan for SMEs in Nigeria.
* To provide answers to frequently asked questions regarding access to CBN and DBN Funds for SMEs.
Target Audience
The event targets all heads of SME banking, assistant heads, heads of risk, retail, marketing, strategy, product managers, e-commerce, online product managers; digital payments, and business development managers, SMEs, business owners and SME managers and startups.
Speakers would be drawn from the Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Industry and International Finance Corporation, Enterprise Development Centre of Lagos Business School and Fate Foundation to mention just a few.
Focus
Workshop Sessions:
- Business Management and Business Efficiency
- Opportunities for SMEs in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan
- Leveraging Technology For Business Growth: Making it Work for SMEs
- Innovation: Does it Make SMEs Productive?
- Accessing CBN and Bank of Industry SMEs Funds: What You Must Know and Do.
- Paradigm shift in SME Financing: What is it?
- Digitisation as the next frontier in business banking
- Customer Reinvention: From lending to growing
Workshop sessions 1-5 are for SMEs, owners, managers, startups, etc only; while sessions 6-8 are for heads of SME banking, assistant heads, heads of risk, retail, marketing, strategy, product managers, e-commerce, online product managers; digital payments, and business development managers only.
Date: Wednesday, 27 November, November 2019
Venue: VCP Hotel, 292b Ajose Adeogun Street, Lagos, LA
Time: 9:00am