Access Bank, SCIDaR to Enhance Health SMEs Financing

Nume Ekeghe

Access Bank, has partnered with Solina Centre for International Development and Research (SCIDaR), a prominent non-profit organisation spearheading impactful health interventions across Africa to tackle financing challenges faced by over 200,000 health Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria.

In a statement, from the bank, SCIDaR’s Access to Finance Specialist, Mark Akpan noted that through this collaboration, SCIDaR will strengthen the capacity of health SMEs to be investment-ready through the provision of technical support services including entrepreneurship and financial management training in addition to business development services for a sustained relationship between the health providers and Access bank.

At the MoU signing event at SCIDaR’s headquarters in Abuja, Chief Executive Officer of SCIDaR, said: Dr. Uchenna Igbokwe, “Funding is critical for Nigeria’s health system. Insufficient funding has strained our health infrastructure, resulting in subpar performance on health metrics. This partnership with Access Bank is timely as it aligns with the government’s vision for the health sector and has the potential to strengthen health value chains and support our country’s GDP contribution.” 

Deputy Managing Director, Access Bank, Chizoma Okoli, said “In 2022, we launched a project with the goal of enrolling one in every two Nigerians.  It’s audacious and we have attained outstanding results so far. As part of our ongoing mandate, we are committed to providing access to finance for entrepreneurs in the transportation, agriculture, and health sectors this year.”