From left: . Adedamola Adeniyi, Ilorin Branch Manager, Leadway Assurance; Alhaji Ganiyu Olanrewaju Opeloyeru, Executive Director, Ajike Support Centre; Ms. Olubunmi Adeleye, Head, Corporate Services, Leadway Assurance; Hassan Rapheal, Director of Protocol to Her Excellency, First Lady of Kwara Stata; Ayoola Fatona, Head/National Coordinator Agric. Insurance and Micro Retail; Stephen Esimekuia, Ilorin Agency Manager, Leadway Assurance during the Leadway SME financial training organised in partnership with Ajike foundation, for Entrepreneurs in Kwara State.
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Chuks Udo Okonta
The First Lady of Kwara State, Amb. Dr. Mrs. Olufolake Abdulrazaq has commended Nigeria’s foremost insurer, Leadway Assurance Company Limited, for upskilling the state’s Micro Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (MSMEs) on financial inclusion, security, and risk management.
The initiative, which is in partnership with the Ajike Foundation leveraged the know-how and legacy of Leadway Assurance’s market leadership and its 50 years’ experience in the sector to build the capacity of artisans, farmers, market women and other small business groups on deploying financial dexterity for their enterprise.
The first part of the partnership, a one-day comprehensive SME workshop, took place on Wednesday, 20 January 2021. The capacity-building workshop then heralded an engagement tour with the Leadway Assurance mobile office team.
The First Lady, who spoke virtually at the event, said, “As the world is struggling to fight off the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are witnessing unprecedented slowdowns and shutdowns. This, no doubt, is affecting the stability of small and medium scale enterprises. Businesses are struggling to survive due to the decline in the production volumes and harsh market conditions. The partnership with Leadway Assurance is an outstanding and unequivocal demonstration of our commitment to acquiring world-class knowledge for the MSMEs by learning from proven market leaders in financial security, risk management and business sustenance.
“Thank you to Leadway Assurance for putting this auspicious event together and I commend the Ajike People Support Centre for supporting this laudable initiative,” Amb. Dr. Mrs. Olufolake Abdulrazaq said.
Also commenting, the Executive Director, General Business, Leadway Assurance, Ms. Adetola Adegbayi said; “we have always taken financial inclusion for small business owners as a priority at Leadway Assurance. We are convinced that financial education is critical to building business successes through smarter enterprise decision, wealth creation, risk identification, management, and protection. No matter how small your business is, there is a need to register with an insurance company.
“Considering the risks involves in operating a business, every business owner should make insurance a critical part of their financial planning. Our partnership with the Kwara State’s First Lady, Amb. Dr. Mrs. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, under the Ajike Foundation, is a testament to our keen resolve to sustaining a pan-Nigerian entrepreneurial growth and development.”
AbdulHakeem Ajenifuja, a fashion designer and a participant at the programme said, “this training is not only for fashion designers or a particular business, but also important for all business owners for the security and development of their businesses.”
His feedback was echoed by another beneficiary, Ms. Damilola Arogunjo, who said that the training had thought her how to optimise her business operations and maximise profits for additional savings. “And even from the profits, I can save for the future and save my business future in times of risk associated with natural disasters and accidents,” she said.
Leadway Assurance continues to reiterate its commitment to the Nigerian entrepreneurs by equipping them with the tools necessary to identifying and mitigating risks as means to scaling and sustaining their business, whilst propagating a deeper understanding and market adoption of insurance in the country.
