Source:This Day Live
In a bid to support women entrepreneurs to run thriving businesses, Diamond Bank, a player in the retail banking space, has provided ICT training for women functioning within the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector.

At the two day programme, which held at the Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan Atlantic University last week, the entrepreneurs were taken through different topics including: Why do businesses need IT? Creating a Facebook Business page, Social Media for business, among others.

Explaining the rationale for the training, Head, Retail Banking of the Bank, Mr. Jude Anele, said: "Diamond Bank is interested in helping women within the MSME sector develop their businesses as research shows that businesses managed by women are relatively more stable and enduring. This training is part of our overall corporate goal of identifying with the vision of women entrepreneurs by equipping them with relevant skills to enhance their businesses."

Speaking on the selection process, Head, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Proposition, Diamond Bank, Mr. Chima Nnadozie, said the programme was a fallout of the Second SME Life Banking Forum organised by the Bank of Industry in conjunction with other partners, and was not restricted to only customers of Diamond Bank.

According to Nnadozie: "Capacity building is an area Diamond Bank is very strong at. We were at the Second SME Life Banking Forum last year, organized by the BOI in conjunction with Western Union and USAID, where MSMEs pitched their business case and plans to potential financiers and investors. We threw an open invitation to women who were interested in using technology, social media platforms and online survey to improve their businesses and that is why we are here today."

He added: "At Diamond Bank, we realize that MSMEs can take full advantage of proper capacity building to increase their chances of success. Technology is one of the five areas we cover. Others are: planning, cash budgeting, human resources and marketing."

CEO of Sahara Foods Nigeria Limited, a food processing company, Anifat Ominiyi Hassan, who was a participant, expressed appreciation to Diamond Bank for the training and called on other banks to make meaningful investments in the MSME sector.

She said: "I am privileged to be a part of this Diamond Bank sponsored event. It is a well packaged and instructive programme. Some of us who were already IT compliant before attending the workshop have seen that we can do more. I can now make my flyers without going to a printer and can even post it online. I learnt to blog, published it and even tried to open an internet shop for my business. It is a life changing experience."

• Nigeria