Access bank empowers 600 women with skills, starter packs, loans

By Hassan Ibrahim

Access Bank Nigeria Plc. under its Women Banking project has trained 600 women on entrepreneurship skills and provided them with starter packs as well as soft loans in Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

The beneficiaries were drawn from various communities in Azare township train on liquid and solid soap, pomade, hair cream, doughnuts production and traditional perfume (Turaren wuta) tagged "Level Up Skills Development, Loans, Empowerment Kits and Networking" to enable them to become self reliant.

Speaking during the disbursement of the starter packs held in Azare, representative of Head of the Access Bank Women Banking, Stanley Onuh, explained that the project was designed strengthen financial stability of women, saying , "We are here today to empower you to be self sufficient by teaching you entrepreneur skills and give you starter packs to start your own business.

"The idea is that let's not find you something that will finish tomorrow but provide you with skills that can sustain you overtime so that you can support your family and also support your children even in school.

Onuh said, "In Access Bank we have a unit dedicated for women, empowering women and also including them in the financial sector. We will be teaching you different skills like baking where you will be making local bread, donuts and other things, while others will be trained on liquid and solid soap. Another team would be trained on local perfume Turaren wuta."

Onuh further disclosed that Access Bank is partnering with various nongovernmental organizations with laudable programs to empower women , adding, "There are lots of NGOs that want to support women and the Access Bank Women Banking partners with these NGOs and for us we'll keep datas of the right women that needs the support. You should open an account with an access bank and wherever such opportunities come, we have data to share and you can get what would sustain yourself."

Onuh continued, "For the women that have small kiosks and shops you are running already and you need a POS. Access Bank will enroll you and we will give you free POS machines to start the business. Any participant who want to start POS business, Access Bank will enroll you and give you a free POS machine."

Onuh also told the participants that officials of the bank would return after a few months to assess how best they have utilized the skills, starter packs and loans as well as the support from the local government authority given to them with a view to expand the programme and widen the scope to other citizens.

Also speaking Chairman of Katagum Local Government Council, Alhaji Yusuf Babayo Zaki, commended Access Bank for the initiatives saying that this is the first of its kind by any financial institution to bring an empowering scheme to build the capacity of women in Azare, adding 

"I want to encourage you to pay attention to the training not because of the loans but to acquire the skills and transfer the knowledge to members of the society to reduce dependence and poverty in the land."

Represented by the Head Finance, Muhammad Ahmad, said, "The Chairman of LGA has directed me to inform you that the local government council would open bank accounts to 220 women who participated in the exercise to support the programme so as to reciprocate the gesture and achieve the desired objectives."

On her part, Secretary of FOWAN in Katagum LGA Marka Abbas, pleaded with Access Bank to consider non-interest loans to the trainees to support them to have good footing, adding that majority of the beneficiaries are afraid of receiving loans with interest due to religious provisions.

In his response, North East Regional Manager of Access Bank Jimoh Lamidi said that the Bank always prioritizes activities of women and make considerate discounts on loans given to women compared to their male counterparts. 

Lamidi assured the participants that the request for the non-interest loans would be looked into and communicated appropriately.

Responding, Emir of Katagum Dr Umar Farouk III, who represented by Alhaji Magaji Dahuwa Abdulkadir, the Royal father thanked Access Bank for the intervention to support women in his domain, adding that although corporate bodies are supposed to embark on many community services under its corporate social responsibility.

The monarch charged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the skills and utilize the loans for the purpose it was given for, especially to build an enduring economic development to become self-reliant and support their families.

The traditional ruler also warned the trainees to uphold financial discipline by avoiding extravagant expenditures and unnecessary competition of spending, especially show-up among their peers.