CIBN plans MSME hubs to deepen bank financing

The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria has unveiled plans to establish dedicated Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises clinics and hubs in partnership with state governments as part of efforts to deepen access to finance and accelerate business growth across the country. The President and Chairman of the Council of CIBN, Dr Dele Alabi, disclosed this on Saturday in Lagos at the 2026 Stream II Chartered Bankers Induction and Prize Awards Day, saying the initiative would help address structural challenges that prevent many MSMEs from accessing bank financing. Alabi said the initiative would begin with an MSME forum towards the end of the year, bringing together banks, MSMEs, consultants and other stakeholders, before moving to sector-specific clinics in the first quarter of 2027. According to him, the clinics would provide a diagnostic platform to identify and address challenges confronting MSMEs, including weak corporate governance structures, inadequate accounting systems and the absence of audited financial statements. He noted that the programme would subsequently lead to the establishment of MSME hubs in collaboration with state governments, with businesses grouped by location and sector to create an enabling environment for them to operate and expand.See more Punch stories on Google.Add Punch on Google “We’re planning a program. There are certain strategic items that we’re putting in place. One of them is that we’re going to do an MSME program toward the end of this year and in the first quarter of next year,” Alabi said. He explained that the initiative was designed to move beyond the concentration of bank financing on large corporations and create a structured pathway through which smaller businesses could become more bankable. “We’re currently working with banks to see how do we move from the top-tier sector — the multinationals like MTN, Shell, Unilever — down the ladder to the MSME sector,” he said. Food, beverage firms lead Nigeria’s real investments with N375bn Alitheia Capital backs financing for women-led businesses Nigeria needs more investment to create jobs – NESG Alabi said the focus on MSMEs was critical because of their contribution to the Nigerian economy, noting that the sector accounts for about 46 per cent of gross domestic product, 86 per cent of employment and 96 per cent of the number of businesses in the country. He acknowledged that MSMEs faced significant constraints in meeting the requirements of formal financing but said such challenges should not prevent the sector from contributing more to economic growth. “Challenges should not be a limiting factor to enable MSMEs to contribute,” he said. He added that CIBN was already working on a timetable for the programme, with the MSME forum expected towards the end of 2026, followed by the clinics and development of hubs with state governments in the first quarter of 2027. “Before the end of next year, we should start seeing pockets of MSME project sites,” Alabi said. The CIBN president said the initiative was particularly important because improvements in macroeconomic conditions had not yet translated sufficiently into improved living conditions for many Nigerians. He argued that strengthening MSMEs could provide a broader transmission mechanism between macroeconomic reforms and household economic wellbeing by supporting businesses, employment and income generation. His comments came against the backdrop of reforms in the banking industry, including the recapitalisation of banks, which he said had created an opportunity for financial institutions to expand their support for productive sectors of the economy. The MSME initiative formed part of the broader CIBN IMPACT vision, which Alabi said was built around six pillars: inclusion, membership, professionalism and ethical conduct, accountability and enhanced financial performance, competencies and skills development, and technology, automation and innovation. He said the Institute was also reviewing its professional training syllabus to ensure that bankers were equipped to operate in an increasingly technology-driven financial services environment. “Bankers have to relearn. They have to unlearn, and they have to continue to develop their skills,” Alabi said, stressing that continuous training would be necessary for professionals to remain relevant as technology reshapes banking. Jide Ajia Jide, a seasoned journalist with over 12-year experience, reports business-related stories

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