Access Bank through the W initiative, has empowered women, owned and managed
SMEs by putting together an innovative bundle of offerings designed to support the
more than a few aspects of business during the global pandemic.
The W Initiative of Access Bank remains a pioneer proposition to promote women’s
economic empowerment in Africa with over a decade of active participation in creating
and supporting the Women’s Market across its focus segment.
Being the forerunner of the gender-focused initiative in the industry, The W initiative has yet again
demonstrated a feat by supporting women especially Women SMEs during these
times.
The bundled offerings consist of; the introduction of the W Webinar Series,
implementation of a 90 days moratorium and extension on all existing loans to Women
owned and managed SMEs without penal charge, introduction of the bespoke business
debit card and creation of an e-commerce enabled website to enhance the digital
presence for female owned businesses.
Speaking on Access Bank’s innovative for SMEs with a focus for Women owned
businesses, Ayona Aguele-Trimnell, Group Head, Women Banking at Access Bank Plc
said “At Access Bank, we are mainly committed to drive women’s economic
empowerment in the markets we serve. We are also actively involved in supporting
women-owned businesses to thrive through this period by leveraging digital platforms
to sell their goods and services, providing alternate channels of banking as well as
easing the burden of loan repayment while considering the impact of the global
pandemic on SMEs.”
She further mentioned that “The Bank has adopted virtual platforms to ensure that
Women owned SMEs are given an enabled environment to thrive and continue their
businesses despite the global pandemic.”
Access Bank has an unflinching commitment to empower women and contribute
immensely to the growth of the women market in Nigeria and beyond for accelerated
social and economic growth.