Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) has launched SME Market Hub, an e-commerce and business directory portal which is part of the bank’s strategy to grow Nigerian SMEs.[blockquote right=”pull-right” cite=”Segun Agbaje, Managing Director of GTBank”]“About five years ago one of the big criticisms of GTBank was that it was not a retail bank. We had 250,000 customers and today we have 5.5 million retail customers. So when we choose to do something, we really sink our teeth in it.”[/blockquote]
The portal is designed to enable Nigerian entrepreneurs migrate their businesses online and take advantage of the vast international and local sales opportunities within the Internet commerce space, the bank said.
“About five years ago one of the big criticisms of GTBank was that it was not a retail bank. We had 250,000 customers and today we have 5.5 million retail customers. So when we choose to do something, we really sink our teeth in it”, Segun Agbaje, Managing Director of GTBank said.
Under the plan, SME owners will also have access to a variety of business tools that will enhance profitability as well as a community that will allow them forge relationships with other business owners.
Agbaje added that, “there is no getting away from the fact that economic conditions remain challenging for SMEs in Nigeria.”
According to him, “it is, however, vital that this integral sector of the economy gets all the support it needs to drive growth and development. With the introduction of the SME Market Hub, the bank said it has provided SME operators a platform that allows small and medium business owners create and maintain online presence and expand their business frontiers to new markets and millions of buyers that are online.”