By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
FirstBank, West Africa’s top financial institution, is hosting its next SMEConnect Webinar on March 31, 2026, focusing on AI for business growth.
The event aims to empower SMEs with AI knowledge and tools for expansion and success in a digital landscape.
The theme, “AI for Business Growth: From Adoption to Integration and Scalable Impact,” highlights AI’s transformative impact on SMEs. Attendees will gain practical insights on using AI for productivity, process optimization, customer engagement, and data-driven decisions.
Speakers include Temitope Odude from Microsoft, Abednego Ugwueke, and Ibidun Adedewe from FirstBank. Chuma Ezirim, Group Executive of e-Business and Retail Products at FirstBank, said, “SMEs are the backbone of the Nigerian economy, and at FirstBank, we recognise that the economy cannot thrive without them. As a committed growth partner to SMEs, this session reinforces our strong focus on innovation, demonstrated through initiatives such as the use of AI‑enabled credit scoring to deliver fast, instant loans to micro‑SMEs, with over ₦1 trillion disbursed to support customers’ financial needs. Building on this foundation, we are equipping business owners with the right knowledge and practical insights on Artificial Intelligence to help them scale in the short term and drive sustainable growth. I encourage every business owner to participate in this session to gain hands‑on guidance on integrating AI into everyday business operations.”
