Stanbic IBTC Holdings has launched a Blue Blossom community, a gathering of women from diverse backgrounds that come together to support each other while leveraging various benefits offered by the financial institution to meet their entrepreneurial needs.
Recent report by World Bank revealed that women comprise 43.83 per cent of the labour force, and 43 per cent of businesses worldwide are owned by women. Despite increased financial services in Africa’s biggest economy in the last decade, 98 per cent of women still lack access to formal credit markets.
Speaking at the official launching of the community in Lagos, Non-Executive Director, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Mrs. Sola David-Borha, said that the Blue Blossom community is a network of women that will be able to access the entire product range of Stanbic IBTC, from lending to investing to insurance, foreign exchange, educational trusts, and the full range of financial services will be available to the women, particularly in terms of supporting them to build their businesses,”
David-Borha further enjoined the people to have financial dignity by starting to invest and save early, while duly considering diversification of risk to have a sustainable flow of income.
Head, Enterprise Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Olajumoke Bello, said that the community provides a network of top executives in various fields and enables access to valuable connections and opportunities for customers.
“I’m incredibly proud to unveil the community as an offshoot of our banking products and value-added service to provide an excellent experience for women. With Blue Blossom, Nigerian women will have healthier, more fulfilled, strong and empowered lives,” she said.
The Executive Director, Business and Commercial Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Remy Osuagwu, stated that women are the backbone of established societies and thus must be supported to contribute to growing communities in Nigeria.
He said: “When women are exposed to and groomed in the art and science of business, coupled with receiving equitable financial services with affordable credit facilities, their potential for growth, leadership, and success is boundless.”
Osuagwu described the Blue Blossom community as a multi-value platform that seeks to provide an enabling ecosystem for women as young as 18 and nurture them into their best versions.
The Executive Director, Stanbic IBTC Trustees Limited, Emi Agaba-Oloja, said that: “Women must maximise their gifts of organisation. We have factored these into the Blue Blossom community to foster a sense of togetherness and serve as a reservoir of resources among Nigerian women from all walks of life.”
Emphasising and highlighting the benefits of belonging to the community, Agaba-Oloja said that the benefits of being a member of the community included free business clinic, career or business development sessions, mentorship through master classes, access to CHESS account for their children/wards, access to market and network via community and many more.
