Diamond Bank, Microsoft to empower 35m SMEs in 2017
Diamond Bank has said that its recent collaboration with Microsoft on Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) growth in Nigeria is capable of empowering the 35 million registered SMEs in the country, by 2017, through its Diamond Mobile Point of Sales (MPoS).
Both companies who spoke in Lagos on a one-day workshop on improving business productivity among SMEs, assured Nigerians that they have all it take to scale up SME business in Nigeria, by providing them with the right technology tools that will empower their businesses in today’s digital world.
Head, Emerging Business, Diamond Bank, Njideka Esomeju, who spoke on Diamond MPoS, said the solution would enhance business productivity among SMEs in the country.
“We need to get SMEs to move online, which is the next level of business, and to learn how to maximise the use of their computers to improve their business efficiency. At Diamond Bank, our slogan is ‘Beyond Banking’ and we have fully gone beyond the initial ways where customers had to go into the banking hall to deposit, withdraw or transact some forms of businesses. We have introduced solutions that empower small businesses to move to the next level, which is about leveraging technology for business efficiency,” Esomeju said.
Explaining how the solution could be used, Gideon Akpebu said “the Diamond MPoS is a smart reader that works with mobile phones. It is unique because it differs from other PoS in terms of size, as it comes very handy, and can accept payment for business transactions from any part of the country and at any time. It takes record of daily transactions and issues receipt for each transaction. According to him, all that the SME need do is to download the app from Play Store, pair it with a mobile phone via Bluetooth and activate it for usage.
Marketing and Communications Lead, Microsoft Nigeria, Edmond Idokoko, while speaking on the value that Microsoft brings to SMEs, explained that Microsoft mantra is to enable individuals and organisations achieve more in the business by leveraging Microsoft technology solutions.