Access Bank Ghana Plc has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) to partner the first edition of the Regional Women Icon Market Project.

The partnership is in line with the Bank’s objective of promoting financial inclusion and supporting the SME sector to thrive.

The Regional Women Icon Market project seeks to promote locally Made-in-Ghana products and services produced by women-owned enterprises and to help identify potential exporters who will be groomed and transited to the export space. The platform will also provide exposure and create awareness for the products and services produced by women using female iconic figures across the country.

Speaking on the partnership, Managing Director of Access Bank Ghana, Olumide Olatunji said, the partnership is a great platform to push women who are exceling in their various businesses to shine on the international stage. He said “Access Bank’s support to women has been impressive over the years. Through the Bank’s ‘W’ Initiative, we have supported the dreams of thousands of women by offering mentorship, coaching, grants, and loans to initiatives that promote women. This partnership is another opportunity to project the strength of the Ghanaian woman entrepreneur to the outside world and we are solidly behind it”.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Executive Director of Retail and Digital Banking at Access Bank Ghana, Pearl Nkrumah Pearl revealed that under the partnership, Access Bank will provide financial literacy on International Trade to participants and help to develop their capacity through the export clinics. The Bank will also provide a resource person to train exporters on the developed module as an added value beyond the Women Icons Regional Exhibitions. Beyond these, Access Bank will provide funding options and trade instruments at negotiable rates for exhibitors.

Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Dr. Efua Asabea Asare, was grateful to Access Bank for their decision to partner GEPA on the maiden edition of the Women Icons Regional Exhibition. She explained that there is a lot of potential in the Ghanaian woman entrepreneur that has been hidden. The platform, she said, will offer these entrepreneurs the opportunity to showcase their locally made wares and help to promote same on the international market.

Dr. Asare thanked Access Bank for believing in the project and looked forward to more partnership opportunities in the future.

The ‘W’ Initiative is Access Bank’s unique approach to banking women in Ghana and across the world. Launched in 2015, the W Initiative seeks to inspire, connect, and empower women in all phases of their lives focusing on three main segments: Women Young Professionals, Women in Business and Women and Family, by giving them access to information, financing, networking opportunities and access to market.

Access Bank has over the years developed a deep understanding of its customers, delivering excellent services and empowering them to achieve more through financial inclusion.