UBA, LCCI partner to support SMEs at Lagos Fair

United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry(LCCI) have assured small medium enterprises (SMEs) that the 2019 Lagos International Trade Fair (LITF) would bring them far reaching benefits that will help transform their businesses.

UBA’s Head Group, Consumer Retail Business, Mr. Jude Anele, who gave this assurance at a press conference to herald the 2019 Lagos international Trade Fair as well as unveil sponsors of the trade fair, said that Africa’s global bank has put in place various service offerings to guarantee that this year’s fair provides a veritable platform to catalyse businesses to new highs.

He explained that the 33rd edition of Lagos International Trade Fair, scheduled to commence on November 1, is expected to provide an avenue for networking, trade and investment, is bound to boost business activities in Africa’s largest economy and by extension, Africa.

While ensuring that SMEs maximise their presence at the fair, Anele explained that UBA would provide an uninterrupted banking services during the two-week event, and also providing advisory services to the small and medium entrepreneurs, fundamental to achieving their business goals.

He said, “Worthy of mention is that merchants and entrepreneurs from other African countries and abroad would be able to conduct their transactions seamlessly without currency exchange hassles, using the extensive reach of UBA as a pan African bank with presence in key commercial capitals in the world,”

“We have realised that critical to the success of SMEs in Africa is not necessarily access to finance, but their understanding of business and accounting mechanisms, process and procedures critical to their growth and existence especially on e-commerce, tax management, and bookkeeping and access to funding, and these are issues which we are trying to address,” he said.

Speaking on the ease of payment during the event, especially with African companies from outside Nigeria, Anele disclosed that UBA has successfully put in place solutions that would see ease of payment within Africa. “UBA will be deploying state-of-art Point of Terminals(POS) configured towards ensuring merchants receive immediate values in currencies of their choice,” Anele assured.