Beyond Transactions: How Partnership Shaped Wema Bank’s 80-Year Journey

As Wema Bank marks 80 years, the significance of this milestone lies not only in how long the Bank has existed, but in how it has grown. Beyond transactions and  milestones, the bank’s 80-year journey affirms a simple truth: institutions that last are those that grow with others. Kayode Tokede writes

Institutions do not last eight decades by merely processing transactions. They endure by building relationships that outlive market cycles, leadership changes, and economic uncertainty. In banking especially, longevity is rarely accidental; it is earned through trust, consistency, and the quiet strength of partnerships that deepen over time. As Wema Bank marks 80 years, the significance of this milestone lies not only in how long the Bank has existed, but in how it has grown. The story of Wema at 80 is, at its core, a story of partnership with entrepreneurs, creatives, communities, and institutions that have walked alongside the Bank through eras of transformation. This anniversary, therefore, is less a celebration of endurance and more a reflection on shared progress.

From its founding in 1945, Wema Bank was built on a purpose that extended beyond profit: empowering Nigerians with access to finance and opportunity. Eight decades later, that purpose remains evident in how the Bank chooses its partners, structures its collaborations, and measures success. At 80, Wema Bank’s relevance is not defined by size alone, but by the depth of relationships it has sustained and the value it has created alongside those relationships.

Partnership at Wema Bank has never been transactional. It is not a campaign tool or a seasonal strategy, but a way of building one that prioritises long-term outcomes over short-term wins. This philosophy explains why the Bank’s collaborations consistently go beyond logos and sponsorships to include access to finance, market linkages, capacity building, and ecosystem development. Across women-led enterprises, SMEs, creative industries, and youth development, Wema Bank has shown a pattern of staying engaged long after the spotlight fades. For partners, this consistency creates confidence: confidence that the Bank will remain present, responsive, and invested in shared success.

This approach is perhaps most visible in Wema Bank’s long-standing partnership with Naija Brand Chick through the NBC Trade Fair. As part of its 80th anniversary year, the Bank reaffirmed this collaboration by returning as headline sponsor of the 2025 NBC Trade Fair, now spanning 16 states across Nigeria and extending internationally. Rooted in a shared belief that women-led businesses are central to economic growth, the partnership has delivered measurable outcomes. Through the 2024 NBC Trade Fair alone, Wema Bank supported over 4,450 SMEs, with women-owned businesses accounting for 85 per cent of participants, and generated more than N3.5 billion in SME revenue. As the platform expands in 2025, it reinforces a defining message of Wema at 80: partnership is not static it grows in ambition, reach, and responsibility.

The Bank’s partnership philosophy also reflects a clear understanding that meaningful support must be context-driven. Small businesses operate in diverse ecosystems, and effective collaboration requires meeting them where they are. This thinking underpins Wema Bank’s collaboration with Fashion Souk NG, a specialised fashion fair under The Eventful Souk brand. Through this partnership, the Bank has supported a market access platform for over 200 women-led SMEs across fashion, food, and beauty categories that are proudly made in Nigeria. Here, Wema Bank’s involvement goes beyond visibility; it enables connection to customers, collaborators, and peers within an environment designed for growth. For entrepreneurs in the creative economy, this signals alignment with their realities and ambitions, not just brand association.

That same depth is evident in Wema Bank’s continued partnership with the Lagos Leather Fair, Africa’s premier leather industry showcase. As a gold sponsor for the second time, the Bank supported leather-focused SMEs by awarding N2.5 million in grants to outstanding participants at the 2025 edition. Beyond funding, Wema Bank leveraged its Prestige by Wema proposition to facilitate access to high-net-worth individuals, increased visibility, and potential cross-border expansion opportunities. It is a reminder that the most effective partnerships strengthen entire value chains, not just individual moments.

As the MD/CEO at Wema Bank, Mr. Moruf Oseni has emphasised, the Bank’s commitment to SMEs is sustained rather than symbolic. With over N300 billion disbursed in loans and grants and more than 800,000 SMEs empowered through capacity-building programmes, Wema Bank’s track record reflects depth, discipline, and long-term intent. These figures are not presented as milestones in isolation, but as evidence of continuity the kind that partners can plan around and grow with.

Beyond enterprise support, Wema Bank’s partnerships extend into the future of work and national development. Through the FGN ALAT Digital Skillnovation Programme, launched in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Bank has positioned itself as a strategic enabler of the country’s digital economy. Now in its second cohort, the programme aims to equip 2 million youths and 1 million MSMEs with in-demand digital skills. Since its launch in 2023, over 300,000 participants across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory have already benefited. The programme’s transition to physical training through FGN ALAT Digital Hubs across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones reflects a partnership model that evolves with impact in mind expanding access while deepening engagement.

This same approach underpins the NYSC ALAT Accelerator Programme, delivered in partnership with Microsoft and the National Youth Service Corps. Designed to prepare young Nigerians for modern career and entrepreneurial realities, the programme offers digital skills training, mentorship, funding opportunities, and market access. For partners, it demonstrates Wema Bank’s capacity to co-create scalable solutions to unemployment and skills gaps. For participants, it provides a structured pathway from service to sustainable opportunity, reinforcing the Bank’s role as a long-term partner in personal and professional growth.

The credibility of Wema Bank’s partnership strategy is further reinforced through its collaboration with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria. Through the SMEDAN–Wema Capacity Building Programme, over 800,000 MSMEs are being equipped with essential business, technical, and digital skills, alongside mentorship, access to finance, and access to markets. As SMEDAN’s Director General, Charles Odii, has noted, the collaboration stands as a practical example of how shared purpose and determination can translate into real, measurable impact.

As Wema Bank turns 80, these partnerships collectively tell a deeper story. They reveal an institution that understands trust as something built over time through presence, adaptability, and shared accountability. One that sees collaboration not as an obligation, but as a strategic advantage. In the words of Moruf Oseni, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Wema Bank, the Bank’s partnership-driven approach remains inseparable from its founding purpose: empowering Nigerians with access to finance and opportunity. Eight decades on, that commitment remains unchanged.

Beyond transactions and beyond milestones, Wema Bank’s 80-year journey affirms a simple truth: institutions that last are those that grow with others. And as the Bank looks ahead, its message to partners is clear the journey continues, together.