Mary Nnah
With a great passion for creating a vibrant SME economy in Nigeria and Africa while also recognising those who have made great achievements in the SME sector, braving it a most challenging business environment, Emvirtue, the organisers of the SME Economy Conference and Awards has announced ongoing plans on the third edition of the project which would be taking place on October 27, 2018, at the Ace Olivia Hall, Lagos City Mall, Onikan Lagos, Nigeria.
As the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode rightly puts it, “there is need to engage successful entrepreneurs as well as mentors and trainers, financial institutions and industry partners to promote effective implementation of the Entrepreneurship Development Agenda, through voluntary sharing of experiences and lessons learned”.
This is why SME Economy Africa will recognise businesses and personalities and leaders who are contributing to the growth of SME Economy in Nigeria.
According to Mr Emmanuel Ezima, CEO of Emvirtue, the conference will provide opportunities to network, share knowledge on policies, industry trends and business strategies.
There will also be discussions on the many ways the government can promote growth and efficiency in the SME sector.
He hinted that after a successful conference, the award night hosted on the same day will recognise outstanding SME businesses as well as government leaders, agencies and the private sector that are creating opportunities for SMEs.
On the SME Economy Distinguished Public Servant of the year, award category will be presented to a public servant who has shown excellence, commitment, passion and support for the growth of entrepreneurs in Nigeria through engagement with SMEs across the board.
The nominees have been revealed to be Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode, Gov. Nasir El-Rufai, Gov. Ifayin Uguayin, Gov. Samuel Ortom and Gov. Nyesom Wike.
Other nominees include Linda Ikeji, Toju Foyeh, Yomi Casual, Instagram Jagaban, Chef Fregz, Oshewa Beauty, Bibyonce, Farm Konnect, Taxify, Adron Homes, Landwey, and so on.
According to Ezima, small businesses need the support they can get to push through tough economic times as well as expand and create innovations that will drive the continent. There are businesses out there struggling to get funded and this project will be the critical knowledge sharing platform, networking and engaging opportunity for all.
