E-Financial
DBN Urges MSMEs to Reinvent Business Model for Sustainability
In the light of prevalent economic realities of COVID-19 on businesses across the globe, Development Bank of Nigeria Plc (DBN) has advised Micro Small and Medium Enterprises in the country to reinvent their current business models for sustainability during the pandemic to enable them leverage growth opportunities for their businesses in the post COVID-19 era.
This was the takeaway from the panelists’ discussion at the DBN Webinar session which took place on Saturday May 9th, with the theme; “Alternative Financing Options for Sustainable Growth Post COVID-19 Lockdown”.
The Webinar series is aimed at providing capacity building and advisory services for MSMEs through digital platforms to ensure they are empowered to remain in business through this unprecedented period.
Panelists on the session include: Immediate Past President and Chief Executive Officer of Africa Finance Corporation and presently CEO & Partner, South Bridge Group, Mr. Andrew Alli; CEO of Emerging Africa Capital, Mrs. Toyin Sanni; Head SME, FCMB, Mr. George Ogbonnaya; and MD/CEO, Urban Shelter, Hajiya Sa’adiya Aliyu Aminu. The session was moderated by Chief Economist, Development Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Joseph Nnanna.
While dissecting the current implications of the pandemic on the Nigerian economy, the panelists pointed out that MSMEs are the hardest hit by the crisis, as they have limited access to capital and now have to depend on few customer base.
They however, stressed that this phase shall pass and only SMEs with innovative thinking and clear vision will be able to take advantage of the new normal.
“If you are an SME, the framework should be to survive the crisis period, have as much liquidity as you can and stem expenditure. You must stabilize the business by stabilizing your cost and reconfiguring your operations.
“For instance, a five-star hotel in Lagos has outsourced their laundry and restaurant. You can now order takeaway and pickup of your laundry. The crisis will end, and we will return to a period of growth.
“A lot of things will likely change because of this pandemic. So, you also need to prepare for that era. You have to be innovative, have a clear vision, be ahead of the curve to take advantage of the new normal,” said Andrew Alli.
On alternative sources of funding for MSMEs, George Ogbonnaya stated that investors will be frugal in the post COVID-19 era and will only be attracted to businesses that align purpose with strategic direction. He listed alternative sources of funding to include: Crowdfunding, Venture lending, Data driven lending platforms and Risk-Sharing Guarantees.
On her part, Toyin Sanni admonished small business owners to ‘COVID-Proof’ their business, as quality and branded digital presence will stand as distinguishing factors in the present and post COVID-19 era.
“Quality and how you distinguish your brand from competitors will be very important. So, while saving as much as you can during this period, you should also invest in your brand and digitize your business.
I would like to use the term ‘COVID-Proof’ for your business. Redesign your business such that you are able to do an end-to-end i.e. client acquisition, provision of services, and monitoring and evaluation should involve digital models,” she said.
As an advisory, Sa’adiya Aliyu Aminu said being the major drivers, MSMEs will be crucial to reviving the Nigerian economy just like the sector did after the 2015 recession. She called on the Federal Government to reaffirm the made in Nigeria policy to promote local production and patronage and curb capital flight after the pandemic.
At the end of the webinar, it was adjudged by participants as one of the best in recent times as it touched and proffered solutions to most of the critical challenges facing MSMEs. More so, now in the COVID-19 era.
The Development Bank of Nigeria is a development finance institution, established by the Federal Government in collaboration with global development partners to address the major financing challenges facing Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria.
DBN carries out this function by providing financial institutions, predominantly Deposit-Money Banks, Microfinance Banks and other financial institutions with funding facilities designed to meet the needs of MSMEs.
The World Bank has predicted that Nigeria may likely see a rise in the levels of poverty over the next two years despite a moderate economic growth forecast.
The multilateral lender noted that while non-resource-rich countries are expected to continue reducing poverty and grow faster, resource-rich countries like Nigeria may drag due to declining oil prices.
”Resource-rich countries are expected to see less progress in terms of poverty reduction,” the World Bank said in its Africa Pulse report titled ‘Improving Governance and Delivering for People in Africa’.
“Importantly, poverty in resource-rich, fragile countries (which include large countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria) is expected to increase by 3.6 percentage points over 2022–27,” it added.
The Nigerian government has in the past two years provided various safety nets to ease the burden of the citizens, but these, on their own, may not be enough to lift millions off the poverty line.
The reforms which were implemented some 20 months ago, though came with a plethora of gains such as allowing the economy to be market-driven rather than artificial pegging, it’s nonetheless exacerbated poverty with the numbers rising from 104 million to 129 million people in a year.
According to the World Bank, Nigeria accounts for 19 percent of the share of poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, followed by Congo, Ethiopia and Sudan with 14 percent, 9 percent and 6 percent respectively.
But despite the growing poverty, the Washington-based lender expects Africa’s most populous nation annual GDP to increase 3.6 percent in 2025 and 3.8 percent in two years. “Economic growth is expected to remain moderate in Nigeria,” the World Bank said.
“It is expected to increase from 3.4 percent in 2024 to 3.6 percent in 2025, and slightly increase to 3.8 percent in 2026–2027.”
According to the World Bank, the gradual recovery of the Nigerian economy along the forecast horizon is driven primarily by the service sector—specifically, finance, information and communications technology services, and transportation—and, to a lesser extent, a rebound in oil production that converges to its OPEC+ quota.
The World Bank’s projection is relatively higher than the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised forecast for the nation.
IMF cuts Nigeria’s 2025 economic growth forecast downward to 3.0 percent from the earlier projection of 3.4 percent in 2024, citing weakening oil supply and escalating global trade tensions.
The two projections are however largely lower than Nigeria’s ambitious projected annual GDP growth of 4.6 percent outlined in the 2025 budget.
According to Adetilewa Adebajo, investment banker and economist Nigeria must intensify efforts towards economic diversification, infrastructure development, and asset optimisation to stimulate economic growth and attract global investments
“Sale of oil and gas JV assets to optimise equity within the FGN capital structure and balance sheet are crucial for Nigeria’s path towards sustainable development.
“Deliberate Investment projects such as the Agro Airport development and Olokola deep sea port, in Ogun State, major infrastructure projects led by companies like Arise and Dangote, need to be replicated nationwide,” Adebajo said.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has urged Nigerians to report any suspected illegal investment schemes to the commission for proper investigation and necessary action.
This is in the light of the recent collapse of Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX).
The Commission issued a notice on Thursday to the investing public, warning that Ponzi investment schemes pose a significant danger to the growth of the capital market.
In its latest advisory, the Commission highlighted the growing threats and risks posed by Ponzi schemes, illegal investment operations, and unregistered digital asset platforms.
It explained that fraudulent entities and individuals continue to exploit unsuspecting investors with deceptive promises of high returns, often leveraging the allure of digital assets to create a false sense of legitimacy.
“The public is strongly advised to be wary of investment opportunities that promise guaranteed or unusually high returns with little or no risk.
“These include unregistered platforms offering cryptocurrency investments, forex trading, or blockchain-based schemes, without undergoing the prescribed processes to obtain prior approval from the SEC.
“The SEC reiterates in this regard that, ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is.’”
The Commission urged potential investors to conduct thorough due diligence before investing and to verify the registration status of the company or individual offering the investment through the SEC’s website.
The Commission explained that Section 196(3) of the Investments and Securities Act, 2025, criminalizes the promotion and operation of prohibited or unregistered schemes.
“This violation is punishable, upon conviction, by a fine of not less than ₦20 million or a prison term of 10 years, or both,” the Commission warned.
The SEC stated that it is fully committed to identifying and prosecuting offenders to the full extent of the law.
“We encourage the public to partner with the SEC to safeguard the integrity of the investment environment in Nigeria by promptly reporting suspected illegal investment schemes to the SEC,” the notice concluded.
The Nigerian federal government announced that the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) generated $49.5 million in revenue, with fintech companies contributing $18 million.
This fund, as reported by the Federation Account Allocation Committee, is a considerable 56.80 percent increase over the $31.6 million earned during the same period in 2024.
Previously, the charge mainly affected established banking institutions. However, fintech firms have been included because they have contributed a phenomenal 2,507.94 percent growth in transaction values since 2020.
The EMTL is part of the government’s attempt to regulate the booming fintech sector, which completed transactions worth $29 billion in 2023 and $49.3 billion in 2024.
The EMTL was created by the Finance Act 2020 as an amendment to the Stamp Duty Act. It charges $0.03 (N50) for electronic transactions of $6.19 (N10,000) or more made through banks and financial institutions.
This tax seeks to capitalise on the increasing expansion of electronic payments, which will exceed $619.70 billion in total transactions by 2024.
In response to the burgeoning fintech sector, the government has increased its tax base, with annual EMTL collections expected to increase by 31.35 percent.
According to the Medium Term Fiscal Framework for 2025-2027, the federal government expects EMTL revenue to reach $142 million in 2025, up from $108 million in 2024.
However, industry experts have expressed concern about the potential impact of additional taxes on users.
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