Access to Finance: FirstBank Hosts SMEConnect Webinar for SMEs, Business Owners

Access to Finance: FirstBank Hosts SMEConnect Webinar for SMEs, Business Owners

Lagos, 17 June 2026 – FirstBank, West Africa’s premier financial institution and financial inclusion services provider, is pleased to announce its upcoming SMEConnect Webinar scheduled to hold on Thursday, 25 June 2025.

Through SMEConnect, FirstBank delivers capacity building of its value propositions to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The virtual event, which holds every quarter, equips business owners with practical knowledge, tools, and resources to compete and scale in today’s fast-changing economy.

This quarter’s edition, themed “Funding Your Growth: How SMEs Can Access Finance and Scale Faster,” will deliver actionable insights on securing funding, leveraging digital solutions, and overcoming operational hurdles. The keynote address will be delivered by Kemi Adeosun, former Minister of Finance and Convener of DashMe Foundation and NIDACITY. This will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Oluwatoyin Edu, Executive Director, MSME, Bank of Industry, Afoluwake Dahunsi, Head, Credit Analysis & Processing, FirstBank and Helen Willie, Head, SME Banking, FirstBank.

Speaking ahead of the webinar, Chuma Ezirim, Group Executive, e-Business and Retail Products, FirstBank, emphasised the importance of this edition, noting that SMEConnect is about turning ambition into access. He said “Access to capital remains the biggest growth constraint for SMEs. In this edition, funding will be demystified and entrepreneurs will be shown practical steps to become bankable, to connect to the right tools and partners to scale their businesses faster.”

To register for the webinar, interested participants are encouraged to visit  https://firstbanknigeria.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nA_G7E0bSeuQi-FWaLDsxA

FirstBank continues to champion initiatives that drive economic transformation and empower entrepreneurs. The SMEConnect webinar series reflects its conviction that well-informed businesses thrive in dynamic markets.