Ecobank Nigeria has said it is eyeing global opportunities and growth for the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises exhibiting at its annual ‘Oja Oge’ marketplace.
This was disclosed on Friday by the Head of SME and Partnership at Ecobank Nigeria, Omoboye Odu, at the press conference on the opening day of the fashion marketplace.
Oja Oge by Ecobank Pop-Up Marketplace, which is in its second year, is a three-day fashion, beauty, wellness, and lifestyle exhibition. Set to take place from April 18 to 20, 2025, the event will showcase top-tier exhibitors, including Adidas, House of Tara, Winston Leather, Ava and George Children’s Clothing, Chenche Clothing, Lush Hair, and many others.
Odu, who described Ecobank Nigeria as the SME-solution Bank, said, “It’s a platform for creatives in the fashion space; be it apparel, lingerie, jewellery, accessories, you name it. Everything is extremely tight, so we give them a platform where they can bring their things and show them to a larger market.
“More importantly, we want these SMEs to succeed because when they succeed, we succeed. So our solution is to get that local SME to a global level, to a global impact, and then change our narrative as a country,” Odu said.
Beyond providing the SMEs with a platform to sell their goods, Odu said the bank was also getting involved at the level of putting in structures that ensure business survival.
“What we’re doing is teaching them to separate business from self. Teach them to put in the right governance structures. We have made all of them set up separate accounts for the business and themselves. So they separate the two entities. Then we can actually measure how the business is doing,” she stated.
She added that a deliberate effort was made at this year’s ‘Oja Oge’ to focus on showcasing ethnic designs and local artistry.
“We’re seeing a deliberate effort to make it less contemporary and more ethnic this year. Even the setup of the hall was done by some artisans from Kano. Just to show you how we can use our local materials, bamboo and raffia, to make something beautiful,” she affirmed.
Also, the Head of Corporate Communication, Ecobank, Austen Asokpor, noted that the SMEs at the marketplace enjoy the benefits of the exhibition all year round.
“Those SMEs you see here, they are getting calls from everywhere. The after-sales are usually even greater than the sales at the exhibition, and that’s a good thing for them. We are encouraging them to come, and let’s make them into an international brand.
“We have what we call the Ecobank Single Market Trade Hub, where businesses across the continent can connect and reach more customers,” he said.
