Ecobank Nigeria said it plans to empower 40 million women-owned and women-managed businesses in the country through its recently launched gender-based proposition, Ellevate.
Managing director and chief executive of the bank, Mr Patrick Akinwuntan, speaking on Ellevate, said the gender-based proposition for women-owned businesses is targeted at reducing gender inequality in entrepreneurship and aids equal representation for women in the formal business sector.
According to him, the product is part of Ecobank group’s objective to drive financial integration and contribute to the economic development of the continent by deepening engagement with women-owned businesses.
Akinwuntan reiterated that the businesses under Ellevate will also have “access to Ecobank’s unique digital payments and collections solutions like Omnilite for payments, EcobankpayNQR for contactless local and cross-border collections, modern POS channels and various lifestyle benefits including campaigns and promotions to drive their business growth and personal well-being.”
He added:“The Ellevate proposition is a total package addressing the broad needs of women-owned businesses in Nigeria including businesses that produce for women.”
Speaking at the launch of Ellevate, managing director, Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), Mr Tony Okpanachi, lauded Ecobank for introducing the product, which he said would go a long way to assisting the target group.
He disclosed that DBN was doing a lot to uplift small businesses in the country, stressing that it was ready to partner with reputable financial institutions such as Ecobank in that regard.
Founder of Ruff n Tumble, Nike Ogunlesi, who was a panelist at the event, advised women business owners to avail themselves of the opportunity provided by Ecobank through Ellevate to develop their businesses.
