IHEANYI NWACHUKWU on 07 December, 2007
As part of efforts to boost small scale enterprises in Nigeria, Diamond Bank Plc has entered into a strategic partnership with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and GroFin of South Africa in floating N3.75billion ($30million) Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Fund branded ‘Aspire Nigeria’.
This partnership, Business Day checks reveal is in recognition that the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are key drivers in economic growth and development.
The Fund, which GroFin Nigeria manages, is made up of N2.5billion ($20million) contribution from Diamond Bank, and N1.25billion ($10million) contribution from SPDC.
The Fund would build on the performance of other GroFin Funds to enhance the operations of indigenous Small and Medium Enterprises through the provision of much needed business development assistance and appropriate finance.
However, economy analysts recognise that Diamond Bank and Shell’s partnership to grow the SMEs sector comes at a time the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) made optional for banks, their contributions to Small and Medium Enterprises Equity Investment Scheme (SMEEIS).
Diamond Bank has also reserved over N346million to further demonstrate unflinching support for the SMEs in the development of the real sector.
Recently, the bank took major steps in furtherance of its resolve to be a major player in supporting the SMEs sector by disbursing N100million in equity and debt instruments to ten start-up companies pioneered by entrepreneurs who emerged winners of the bank’s ‘Bright Ideas’ Campaign inaugurated over two years ago.
According to Emeka Onwuka, group managing director, Diamond Bank, Aspire Nigeria (the SME Fund) is an innovation and important step towards creating sustainable growth of the Nigeria SME sector.
“The Fund will enable credible SME operators to access medium-term, competitively priced financing and business development assistance. The Fund would enable SME operators to achieve their growth aspiration,” he stated.
http://businessdayonline.com/Economic-Watch/Market-Outlook/1464.html
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Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
