Skye Bank unveils ‘Pearl’ initiative for women entrepreneurs, professionals



L-R: President/Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) Abosede Debola Osibogun; Wife, Managing Director/CEO, Skye Bank Plc, Bolanle Oguntayo; former Miss Nigeria, Helen Ajayi; Managing Director/CEO, Skye Bank Plc, Timothy Oguntayo and representative of the former first lady Lagos State, Abiodun  Opeifa at the official launch of Skye Pearl by Skye Bank at Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos



As part of its financial inclusion drive, Skye Bank has launched the “Skye Pearl” initiative to help its female customers unlock their potential. 
The initiative which was unveiled at the weekend, is a platform that offers series of benefits to sit-at-home mothers, professionals and women-owned SMEs, by offering them a chance to grow and expand their wealth through partnership, relationship, access to finance, information, networking, mentoring and empowerment initiative.
Speaking at the launch of the initiative, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Skye Bank Plc, Timothy Oguntayo, described the Pearl product as a well-thought-out offering conceived by women and birthed by women basically to cater for the needs of Nigerian women. He said it was the bank’s way of ensuring that its customers, especially the women customers enjoy fullness of our business.
“The initiative is for our women, our Pearls, who own Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as well as individual customers. They may be Professionals or Stay-at-home moms, or better still, women entrepreneurs who are seeking to unleash their potential but have not been empowered. Our research has shown that most of these ‘Pearls’ are simply waiting to access capital to show what they can do. They need dedicated financial and non-financial services support to bring out the latent power in them and Skye Bank is positioned to provide the platform for this”, Oguntayo said. 
The Skye Bank boss said for financial sustainability and participatory development involving women to take place, conscious efforts must be made to enhance women’s access to finance, adding that this realization prompted the bank to bring women on board as national development partners through nurturing their entrepreneurial spirit.
The guest speaker, who is also the President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Adebola Osibogun commended the bank for conceptualizing the Pearl initiative which recognizes the needs and aspirations of women entrepreneurs.
“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 it what “Skye Pearl initiative is bringing to the fore”, she said.
Also speaking, Executive Director, South South/South East and Retail Banking, Skye Bank Plc, Ibiye Ekong, said the six pillars of the Pearl initiative are: Capacity Building; information; networking; empowerment; mentoring; access and finance”. This is aimed to project Pearl Woman as someone who is "precious, informed, connected, evolving and a role model” she hinted
She further disclosed that an online platform, www.skyebankng.com/SkyePearl, had been created which members of the public can log on to and explore endless possibilities. Part of the activities that would be enjoyed on the “Skye Pearl” program include an online platform, where members can participate in focused group sessions, and also discuss issues that concern women. There would also be online trainings on financial education, and access to mentors and role models.

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