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FirstBank Empowers Small Businesses with U-First Products

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Buoyed by constant innovation, FirstBank has progressively demonstrated that its product offering transcends the regular lending, deposits, trade and treasury products, to the development of financial solutions that enable business owners serve their clients efficiently.

The bank’s introduction of specialized products designed to help small business grow and expand has been providing succor to entrepreneurs across the nations, empowering them to make informed financial decisions for sustained business success.

FirstBank had in 2006 launched the “U-First” suite of products designed to equip individuals and entrepreneurs to realize their aspirations in their personal and business activities.

Folake Ani-Mumuney, head, Marketing and Corporate Communications at FirstBank explained that U-First is a suite of retail and consumer loan products designed to enable individuals and small businesses meet their business and personal needs under a flexible repayment structure that is in sync with the best global practices.

She said with the U-First loans, small business operators are empowered to take little steps that will ultimately grow their businesses.

“Under the U-First umbrella, we have a set of homogeneous loans targeted at individuals and small & medium enterprises (SMEs). The set targeted at individuals are classified as Consumer Loan Products while those targeted at SMEs and entrepreneurs are classified as Retail Loan Products. Every product provides a unique opportunity for beneficiaries to effectively grow their businesses,” she added.

FirstBank’s Retail ‘U-First Loans’ empower individuals and businesses to acquire assets and meet other financial needs at the best possible terms. These include Auto & Household Equipment Loans for individuals to purchase vehicles and home appliances respectively and Operational Vehicle and Office Equipment Loans for SMEs to purchase vehicles and equipment for use in the day-to-day running of the business. SMEs can also enjoy Short-term Loans & Overdrafts to meet their business expansion and working capital requirements, among others.

U-First also offers LPO Finance, to empower businesses in executing job orders from corporate organizations. The beauty of the U-First products is that they are available and easily accessible to business operators in all FirstBank branches nation-wide. With this, the bank is helping individuals and SMEs live their dreams.


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DLM Asset Management Partners Your Study Path on “School is an Asset” Webinar

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DLM Asset Management, a subsidiary of DLM Capital Group, in collaboration with Your Study Path, is excited to announce the “School is an Asset” webinar, scheduled for September 19, 2024.

This engaging virtual event will spotlight the crucial role of education as a foundation for a prosperous future and spotlight the Child Education Plan designed to help parents secure their children’s educational opportunities.

The “School is an Asset” webinar will emphasize that education is not just a path to personal success but a significant investment with lasting benefits for individuals, families, and communities.

As the world evolves, the importance of education in fostering personal and professional growth cannot be overstated. This event aims to inspire students and parents to fully embrace and leverage their educational opportunities.

We are pleased to feature an esteemed lineup of speakers, including Egunjobi Daniel Ololade, CEO of Your Study Path; ThankGod Ojabugbe, Portfolio Manager at DLM Asset Management; Goziem Nancy Idonor, Business Development Manger at DLM Capital Group; and Gbotemi Kolowale, Digital Marketer at DLM Capital Group.

Each speaker will provide valuable insights into the significance of education and discuss the Child Education Plan designed to assist parents in financially planning for their children’s education. Attendees will also have the opportunity to engage with the experts during live Q&A sessions to receive personalized advice and answers to their questions.

The webinar will take place on September 19, 2024, from 11:00 AM (WAT). It will be hosted virtually, and free registration is available here.  Join us for the “School is an Asset” webinar and take an essential step toward securing a brighter future through education.

 


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Vale Finance Unveils New Business Banking App to Empower Nigerian Businesses

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Vale Finance has launched a new business banking web app. The app is designed to provide innovative financial solutions to empower businesses to thrive amidst the current economic landscape.

According to Sola Adeyinka, Managing Director and Co-founder of Vale Finance Limited, the company has positioned itself as a key partner to Nigerian businesses by launching the new web app. He noted that Vale Finance Limited became fully operational in January 2022 and has since demonstrated its resolve to be a bank that truly pays its customers.

Natasha Atirene, Head of Strategy, Innovation, and Products, emphasized that the Vale Business Banking app is designed to address the challenges faced by Nigerian businesses, particularly the lack of accessible financing options with competitive interest rates. She highlighted that the platform offers quick and easy access to low-interest loans, enabling businesses to secure the necessary capital for growth.

Ayodele Adebayo, Business Development Lead at Vale Finance Limited, stated that the company’s mission has always been to leverage technology to bring financial freedom to businesses and individuals. He added that the launch of Vale Business Banking is a crucial step towards empowering business owners across the country.

Segun Ojo, Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder, spoke about the app’s capabilities, stating that Vale Business Banking offers seamless transaction capabilities, ensuring that every business owner can manage their finances and customer interactions efficiently. He added that the web app provides a user-friendly interface, allowing businesses to easily register and set up accounts.

Patrick Osadebe, Director of Business Banking at Vale Finance Limited, concluded by saying that the launch is a testament to the company’s commitment to supporting Nigerian businesses. He emphasized that Vale Business Banking is providing businesses with the tools they need to overcome challenges and achieve sustained growth.

The Vale Business Banking web app is now available for registered businesses, marking a new era of financial empowerment for entrepreneurs across Nigeria.


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Field Launches Service to Tackle Maternal Mortality Crisis in Africa with $11M Backing

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Field, African healthtech company, has today announced the launch of a route-to-market service that will introduce emerging therapies to tackle the urgency of maternal mortality, newborn and child health, along with nutrition.

The initiative will leverage Field’s proprietary technology, distribution, and financing services, which today powers a network of over 40,000 private and public healthcare providers in rural and urban areas across Kenya and Nigeria.

The initiative launches with an initial $11m in support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in recognition of Field’s commitment to introduce emerging therapies and supply chain transformation in combating Africa’s most urgent health priorities.

Since its inception in 2015, Field’s streamlined infrastructure has facilitated over 800 million health interventions across more than 60 therapeutic areas, such as family planning, HIV and Tuberculosis. Starting in Kenya and Nigeria, with scope to expand to other regions.

Field will advance on its unique capabilities within complex distribution channels to create an accelerated route to market for emerging therapies and technologies.

This is to include an extensive digitisation overhaul for private healthcare providers, hospitals and healthcare bodies at State and Federal level, with financing options to strengthen operations and purchasing capabilities.

Additionally, healthcare providers stand to benefit from last-mile delivery to improve day-to-day health services and the installation of pharma-grade refrigerators.

In its entirety, the service will be reinforced by the establishment of a coalition to include governments, manufacturers and other key stakeholders for one of the continent’s most ambitious maternal health programs to-date.

Maternal mortality is one of the continent’s most pressing healthcare challenges. The likelihood that a woman will die in childbirth in Africa is 45x higher than in Europe.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Africa accounted for 69% of global maternal deaths, with Nigeria alone representing 29% of all maternal deaths worldwide in 2020.

Field’s service will provide expectant mothers in Africa access to emerging therapies such as heat-stable carbetocin and calibrated drapes, which detect and treat postpartum haemorrhage, the leading cause of maternal mortality in Africa. The platform will accelerate these new interventions, support established therapies, and address related complications like preeclampsia.

The consequences of poor or non-existent maternal health services will affect the most vulnerable sections of Africa’s population. Speaking on the initiative, Michael Moreland, CEO & Founder of Field, says, “This is public health powered by technology and today’s news recognises the products and services that Field has built over the past eight years scaled and integrated into large-scale public health programs; this is what we believe health technology companies should be doing; joining innovative, impactful coalitions between private and public entities”.

“Digitally powering, networking, and financing health systems at scale will have an overwhelmingly positive effect on access to quality care. With funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation we are set to rapidly improve mother and child survival in every setting .’’

A number of global pharma and health companies have exited the continent in the past 18 months. Moreland adds, “We’ve seen genuine, meaningful gains being made in healthcare delivery outcomes, however in this current tough economic climate, without coordinated systems and processes, the progress will slow or slip.

Alongside our funders, our role is to ensure this doesn’t happen because the problems the healthcare space is facing will not be solved on its own. This is where Field, and its funders, come in and we’re excited to get to work on this technology-powered infrastructure blueprint for public health services”.

In addition to this new initiative, Field continues to grow and scale its technology solutions across the continent. In Field Supply, it has created the largest pharmaceutical supply chain platform in Africa.

Its distribution service Shelf Life distributes over 3,000 quality products across more than 50 therapeutic areas, reaching over 2,500 pharmacies and hospitals in 24 cities in Nigeria and Kenya, including government facilities, large hospital systems, retail chains, insurance companies and family-operated drug stores.

The platform also provides trade financing solutions for priority therapies and equipment that addresses working capital constraints that often hinder investment in new medical interventions.


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