Following successful engagements in Arua and Mbale, the Fort Portal event marked a significant milestone in the campaign, designed to provide practical financial literacy, capacity building, and networking opportunities to SMEs, the backbone of Uganda’s economy.
Speaking at the event, Felix Babeiha, Fort Portal Branch Manager at Equity Bank, emphasised the bank’s customer-first philosophy: “At Equity Bank, we value each and every customer and are committed to giving them dignity in whatever aspect of life they do business.”
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Alex Ariho (PhD), CEO of the African Agribusiness Incubators Network (AAIN) and Founding Director of Excel Hort Consult Agribusiness Incubator Ltd. (EHCAI), called for SMEs to embrace innovation, collaboration, and skill development.
He urged entrepreneurs to adopt a growth mindset, prioritize value addition, and build resilient business models to withstand market disruptions.
Olivia Mugaba, Head of SMEs at Equity Bank Uganda, echoed this sentiment, describing SMEs as “the heartbeat of Uganda’s economic transformation.