By Energy Worth
In its determination to enhance its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the First City Monument Bank (FCMB), has organized a workshop on Sustainable Energy Finance (SEFi). The programme was arranged by the FCMB in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank. The event was held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Wednesday.
The workshop themed: Market Opportunities and Financing Structures within the Sustainable Energy Space in Nigeria,” was aimed at providing energy stakeholders, small and medium scale businesses, entrepreneurs, corporate organizations and individuals in the energy space the useful information, funding opportunities and challenges in building sustainable energy in Nigeria.
Some of the topics discussed at the event comprised: ‘Key enabler to unlocking funding for Sustainable Players/Operators’ and ‘funding available for businesses operating within the sustainable Energy space’.
In his welcome remark, the Managing Director, FCMB, Adam Nuru, emphasised the bank’s resolve and dedication towards helping the society and to make sustainable energy financing a practical task in Nigeria.
In his contribution, the Head CSR and Sustainability, FCMB, Omoniyi Iyanda, drew participants’ attention to the bank’s contributions and supports to laudable projects in various communities around the country, as regarding sustainable energy and entrepreneurship. He also pointed out the challenges facing the sustainable energy sector and how a forum like SEFi can help various stakeholders overcome it and build projects that will be durable.
Other facilitators at the event spoke on the need to build energy projects that will be sustained and serve better purpose. Among them were, Boluwasope Ogboye from Shell Foundation and United States Agency for International Development (USAID -Off -Grid Market Acceleration Program, who spoke on “Challenges within the Sustainable Energy space and how to overcome”. While the Group Head, FCMB Business Banking Group, George Ogbonnaya spoke on funding structures available for businesses operating within the sustainable energy space.
Also, the Chief Executive Officer, Solarmate Engineering Nigeria, Dotun Tokun, spoke on Solar Energy Opportunities for SMEs in Nigeria and how energy stakeholders and entrepreneurs can make use of the advantage to impact on their environment.
The Advisor, Sustainable Energy Access (Off-Grid) GIZ, Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP) Temitope Udo-Affia, spoke on “Challenges within the Sustainable Energy space and how to overcome”.
At the end of the seven-hour event, the participants in their response thanked FCMB for organizing the ‘eye opener’ event and promised to make use of the information and opportunities provided at the workshop to impact on reasonable projects that will add value to energy space in Nigeria.
