Keystone Bank, Pan-Atlantic University Forge Strategic Alliance To Empower SMEs

In a bold move to strengthen Nigeria’s entrepreneurial backbone, Keystone Bank Limited has partnered with the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Pan-Atlantic University to promote youth-led businesses, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and financial inclusion across the country.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at Keystone Bank’s headquarters in Lagos, marking a significant milestone in private-sector-led economic empowerment.

Describing the partnership as “a strategic leap toward national transformation,” Mrs. Nnenna Anyim Okoro, Executive Director, Corporate and South, Keystone Bank, said that the collaboration emphasises the bank’s long-standing commitment to economic inclusivity and entrepreneurial development. “At Keystone Bank, we believe that entrepreneurship is the heartbeat of sustainable economic development. Across Nigeria, MSMEs are not just businesses – they are the engine room of our national economy,” said Mrs. Okoro.

She stated that the bank’s role as the major sponsor of the 2025 EDC SME Conference and a core supporter of the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Walk is more than corporate philanthropy. “It is about building capacity, enabling job creation, and creating green job opportunities for a better tomorrow,” she noted.

Mr. Olayemi Sule, Group Head of Retail & Digital Banking at Keystone Bank, echoed these sentiments, hinting at an upcoming rollout of tailored financial products and tech-driven services designed to support small businesses. “Our customers should expect financial tools that are smart, inclusive, and empowering—solutions that enhance literacy, expand access to markets, and fuel enterprise,” he said.

Dr. Nnenna Ugo, EDC Board Member and Head of Alumni Relations and Support Services at Pan-Atlantic University, described the bank’s support as timely and visionary. “Keystone Bank’s partnership is coming at a pivotal moment. As we gear up for the SME Conference and GEW Nigeria 2025, this collaboration enables us to scale impact and engage a wider network of entrepreneurs,” she said.

Over the past 21 years, the EDC has trained more than 350,000 entrepreneurs nationwide. According to her, the upcoming events will unite business leaders, investors, and policymakers to tackle critical challenges facing Nigeria’s SME landscape. “This is more than a partnership. It’s a shared commitment to resilience, innovation, and inclusive economic growth. Keystone Bank has distinguished itself as a true champion of enterprise,” Dr. Ugo said.

With thousands of entrepreneurs expected to converge for the 2025 SME Conference and the GEW Walk, the partnership is poised to set a new benchmark for private-public collaboration in Nigeria’s business development space.

For investors and stakeholders in Nigeria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, the Keystone-EDC alliance signals a promising new chapter – one that blends financial innovation with capacity building, and purpose with impact.