…Partners Alternative Bank to support SMEs
HQ, a subsidiary of International Workplace Group, has committed to fostering businesses’ growth for startups and optimising their operational costs by partnering with The Alternative Bank to make office spaces accessible to startups nationwide.
According to HQ, through the collaboration with The Alternative Bank, it will be opening over 10 new office spaces across the country before the end of 2026.
Ayo Akinmade, country manager, International Workspace Group (IWG), said that the partnership aimed to empower micro, small, and medium-sized businesses by providing them with decent and affordable office spaces.
He said the growing technological ecosystem in Lagos makes The Alternative Bank the perfect place for HQ to open its modern co-working space.
Akinmade said that with the provision of constant electricity, a good business environment, water and internet, which are the basic requirements for startups, they will be empowered to grow or expand and hire people.
He further said that by partnering to provide eco-friendly workspaces, the companies will be helping Nigeria to grow its database, grow the GDP and bring more people out of unemployment.
“This kind of facility represents the quality that The Alternative Bank has been known for, and it aligns with what we at HQ require to be able to deliver quality service and superior returns to small businesses and professionals,” he said.
He further said that IWG, as a leading global workspace provider, have built an unparalleled network of office, co-working and meeting spaces for companies to use in every city in the world.
Mohammed Yunusa, the director of Products, Digital and Innovation, The Alternative Bank, said that the opening of the office was to create an ecosystem that brings people together and gives them access to finance.
Yunusa said that Banking is about bringing people together, solving problems and creating solutions, adding that IWG, Regus and HQ allow the bank to create a community.
“In the heart of the community, problems are coming together that we can solve. So, people coming together allow us to bank them and also support their businesses. The setup is for small businesses, big businesses, and enterprises that need finance, which is where we come in as a bank,” Yunusa said.
Commenting further, Akinmade said that HQ decided to partner with The Alternative Bank because the two firms have a shared vision of empowering startups.
“We think that if we create an ecosystem where somebody has an office, and they have banking services directly below or beside it, it solves a lot of their banking requirements for the company and for the individuals working in the company, who now have a ready bank at their doorstep. So, that’s the vision,” Akinmade added.
