---
id: 5998
title: "Heritage Bank: Best SME Bank Nigeria 2018"
award_year: 2018
published: 2018-09-07 14:36:22
published_gmt: 2018-09-07 13:36:22
author: "CFI.co Editorial"
url: "https://cfi.co/awards/africa/2018/heritage-bank-best-sme-bank-nigeria-2018/"
categories: ["Africa", "Banking"]
content_class: award_rationale
independence_status: independent_editorial
sponsor_disclosure: none
editorial_lens: constructive_positive_lens
historical_status: current_at_publication
correction_status: none
archive_policy: no_delete
provenance_layer: github_versioned
wayback_status: archived
wayback_first_snapshot: 20190723010539
wayback_snapshot_url: "http://web.archive.org/web/20190723010539/https://cfi.co/awards/africa/2018/heritage-bank-best-sme-bank-nigeria-2018/"
license: CFI-OAAL-1.0
content_sha256: 4b3d64134f69d81729c6f10c725c300193a93596362b84da8512aa745184f62c
canonical: 5998-heritage-bank-best-sme-bank-nigeria-2018.json
---

# Heritage Bank: Best SME Bank Nigeria 2018

> Verbatim archived copy. Canonical machine record: `5998-heritage-bank-best-sme-bank-nigeria-2018.json`.

<p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-5999" src="https://cfi.co/awards/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Heritage.jpg" alt="" width="349" height="91" />
<strong>The clue is in the name: Heritage Bank works in close concert with its customers to shape their future and, indeed, create a heritage. The Nigerian bank takes the long view on customer relations and prioritises the people aspects of the financial services industry. The bank’s staff is well trained in all aspects of the banking industry and receives numerous opportunities to further develop skills and embark on a life long learning quest. As a result of its pioneering human resources policy, Heritage Bank is able to deploy its superior knowledge of the local market and dedication to operational excellence to create value for all stakeholders.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The bank also keeps a leading edge over the competition by embracing innovation and advances in technology to offer customers an experience not matched elsewhere. The bank has accumulated a number of firsts during the course of its corporate history. Heritage Bank, then known as Society General Bank, was the first to install an automatic teller machine in the country. Today, Heritage Bank maintains a network of over 160 branch offices throughout Nigeria in addition to close to fifty automated banking centres.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Heritage Bank is particularly recognised for its strong presence in the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) segment – one of most buoyant parts of the market – and perhaps one of its most important as well. As such, the bank stands to benefit from the Nigerian government’s recent decision to improve the business climate for small entrepreneurs.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The CFI.co judging panel notes Heritage Bank’s determination to keep close proximity to its SME customers. The bank also caters to their needs with a comprehensive array of products and services designed to dovetail with the specific requirements of SMEs. The judges are pleased to offer Heritage Bank the 2018 Best SME Bank Nigeria Award.</p>