Restating a commitment to expand the horizon of its customers, Skye Bank has launched “Skye Pearl” initiative to help its female customers unlock their potentials.

The program which was unveiled at a dinner event on Friday, October 23 at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island in Lagos, is a platform that offers series of activities meant to benefit sit-at-home mothers, professionals and women-owned SMEs, by offering them a chance to grow and expand their businesses through partnership, relationship, access to financial education, information, networking, mentoring and empowerment initiative.

Speaking at the launch event, Managing Director/CEO, Skye Bank Plc, Mr. Timothy Oguntayo, said, “Skye Pearl Initiative is a well-thought-out offering conceived by women and birthed by women basically to cater for the needs of Nigerian women. For us, it is our way of ensuring that our customers and in this case, our women customers enjoy fullness of our business.”

“The six pillars that drive Skye Pearl is what makes it stand out among other propositions: ‘The acronym C.I.N.E.M.A stands for C – Capacity Building; I – Information; N – Networking; E – Empowerment; M- Mentoring and A – Access To Finance’. This is aimed to project Pearl Woman as someone who is precious, informed, connected, evolving and a mentor,” Oguntayo said.

In her speech as the guest speaker, Mrs. Abosede ’Debola Osibogun, FCIB, President/Chairman of Council, the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) noted that “it is a great honour to be part of an initiative that celebrates women within and beyond Nigeria. It is indeed a laudable programme which recognizes all the elements that constitute component of a woman. Women are powerful, they are nation builders and for any nation or business to thrive there must be a space large enough to contain women and for me, that is what Skye Pearl initiative is bringing to the fore.”

Also speaking further on the initiative, Executive Director, Skye Bank Plc, Ibiye Asime Ekong, stated that women are important to the economy.

“Women are filled with potentials and valuable. This is expressed in the name of the programme. A pearl has value and it comes with inherent possibilities. Skye Bank sees this in women and is looking towards enhancing that possibility. Also, a look around the world and you discover that the bulk of financial decisions are being made to include women, because it has become obvious that, in most households, women control the spending, as they spend on clothes, food, school, medical expenses and household goods.”

Based on a research conducted by the Skye Bank leading to the creation of the programme, it was discovered that many women have a desire to own their businesses but do not have access to finance. Another benefit being offered on the “Skye Pearl” programme is that it will assist women to access Skye Bank’s existing loan products at concessionary terms.

Part of the activities that would be enjoyed on the “Skye Pearl” programme include an online platform, where members can participate in focused group sessions, and also discuss issues as it concerns women. There would also be online training on financial education, and access to mentors and role models.