As the 2021 International Women’s Day (IWD21) calls on people and organisations to #choosetochallenge for a better world for women, Guaranty Trust Bank plc (GTBank) has launched an initiative, tagged #GiveHerBetaHealth, to draw attention to the need for universal essential healthcare coverage, especially for women in the informal sector. Through the initiative, the leading African financial institution is providing 1000 self-employed women with BetaHealth for a year, at no cost.

Launched in 2020, BetaHealth is a low-cost healthcare package that provides coverage for essential health services such as malaria treatments, pre and postnatal care, accidents and medical emergencies as well as life insurance, all at a subscription fee of N500 per month. Offered through more than 1000 hospitals and pharmacies nationwide, BetaHealth also provides a telemedicine service that allows the user to speak with a Doctor over the phone anytime, anywhere.

With the #GiveHerBetaHealth campaign, the Bank is calling on the general public to nominate 1000 women who will be given free BetaHealth coverage for a year. To nominate a woman, visit

giveherbetahealth.gtbank.com.

#GiveHerBetaHealth is the latest in a long line of GTBank initiatives that reflects the Bank’s commitment to extending access to critical services for everyone, irrespective of their social or economic background. The campaign focuses on empowering self-employed women in the informal sector, many of who have limited or no access to financial services and health insurance. With this campaign, the Bank is putting a spotlight on the need for universal access to essential healthcare services that is affordable for every working Nigerian, and accessible across the country.

BetaHealth is available for everyone. To buy BetaHealth for yourself or someone else, simply dial 7375250050# from your mobile phone.

First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services provider, has announced its SME specific accounts designed to reinforce the Bank’s role in putting SME’s at an advantage whilst contributing to national growth and development.

The SME accounts – which are in two variants – FirstSME Classic and FirstSME Deluxe – are offered to SMEs, irrespective of industry, and tailored to have SMEs exposed to a wide range of services and opportunities that are essential for their continued growth and role in contributing to national development. The advantages and features of these accounts include; access to Temporary OverDrafts (TODs) and other facilities subject to meeting Risk Adjustment Capital (RAC) of each product; immediate enrollment on all digital platform; free access to FirstBank SME events; free access to extensive business promotional and networking opportunities on the SMEConnect portal; access to a wide range of discounted and promotional offers.

Amongst the many opportunities available to holders of FirstSME account is the SMEConnect initiative of FirstBank which is a platform through which SMEs access the Bank’s unique propositions that will equip them with the essential tools needed for the growth of their business. The SMEConnect portal is also designed to help SMEs identify various gaps that hinder their business growth. With FirstBank’s over 126 years of impacting the economy, the Bank’s SME innovative Business Diagnostics Tool will also help proffer tailored solutions, whilst creating avenues for business improvement, profitability and sustainability.

Following extensive research by the Bank, 7 strategic pillars have been considered essential for the sustainability and growth of SMEs. The 7 pillars – connect to infrastructure, connect to talent, capacity building, connect to policy and regulation, connect to resources, connect to market as well as connect to finance.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, “FirstBank is delighted to unlock several opportunities for SMEs to thrive. Our FirstSME account is one of the numerous opportunities designed to empower SMEs to continually drive impact as the backbone and contributors to employment and economic growth.

Being woven into the fabric of the society for close to 127 years means that we remain at the forefront of providing the desired financial products and services to fit the needs unique to the SMEs as well as facilitating the requisite tools and resources to efficiently and effectively drive business sustainability and expansion strategies essential to taking SMEs to the next level’’

First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s leading financial inclusion services provider is rewarding customers with N5 for every dollar received through foreign remittances. This N5 for a dollar incentive is paid to FirstBank’s customers regardless of their preference to collect the USD as cash across the counter in any of the Bank’s over 750 branches nationwide or as transfer into the customers domiciliary accounts.

The reward to customers is in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s ‘Naira 4 Dollar scheme’, driven to promote diaspora remittances into the country. For example, a customer that receives 10,000 USD, gets N50,000.00 as reward. The scheme runs from Monday, 8 March – Saturday, 8 May 2021.

Speaking on the initiative, FirstBank’s CEO, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan said “at FirstBank, we are pleased to participate in the CBN’s ‘Naira 4 Dollar scheme’ as it will contribute to deepening financial inclusion in Nigeria. Indeed, it’s an activity we are pleased to lead, whilst promoting access to funds across the nooks and crannies of the country in almost 127 years of our existence.

We are delighted to be a gateway to promoting dollar remittances into the country and we encourage our customers, their loved ones and friends to use our international money transfer services which would enable them to enjoy the rewards of this promo, sustaining the increase in inflows of diaspora remittances into Nigeria consequently help in poverty reduction, income redistribution and enhancement of economic growth’’ he concluded.

FirstBank pioneered international funds transfer and remittances over 25 years ago and has been at the forefront of promoting cross border payments in the country, having started the journey with Western Union Money Transfer. The Bank’s wealth of experience and operation in over 750 locations nationwide gives it the edge in the market.

Only recently, the Bank launched the First Global Transfer (FGT) product to promote international transfer of funds across its subsidiaries in sub-Saharan Africa. The Bank’s subsidiaries in Africa include FBNBank DRC, FBNBank Ghana, FBNBank Gambia, FBNBank Guinea, FBNBank Sierra-Leone, FBNBank Senegal.