Online shopping community Kaymu.com.ng
has identified the need for the development of the SME sector in Nigeria. This
was disclosed at the Entrepreneurs’ Club, a quarterly seminar for
entrepreneurs organised by the company in partnership with the Lagos State
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Friday September 4th 2015.
The seminar themed “Empowering The New
Generation SME”, had over 200 entrepreneurs in attendance and featured speakers
from various works of life including, Muyiwa Afolabi, renowned life and
business coach, Dele Alimi, Director Membership and Trade LCCI, Ezekiel
Bamigboye, Senior Manager SME Mtn Nigeria, Ademola Adewusi Managing Director
Talent and Dexterity, and Chioma Agha YALI fellow and Managing Director Swish
Ideas amongst others.
According to Managing Director of Kaymu, Sefik Bagdadioglu, the Entrepreneurs’
Club emerged out of the need to empower SMEs with tools to enhance their
productivity.
“SMEs are the backbone of every
economy. In a country like Nigeria where entrepreneurs hold major stakes in the
GDP of the country, it becomes imperative to equip them with knowledge and
skills to enable them survive and thrive in the evolving Nigerian market. This
is one of the main pillars of Kaymu’s business model- to grow with SMEs and
entrepreneurs”, he added.
Nigeria is Africa’s leading economy,
having overtaken South Africa to become the continent’s largest nation in terms
of GDP. The increasing demand for consumer products has created a large
market for small and medium enterprises in the country. The vast majority of
companies in Nigeria are SMEs which account for the livelihood of most of the
country’s population.
Speaking at the event, the Director
Membership and Trade Promotions LCCI, Dele Alimi, emphasized on the need for
SMEs to leverage not-for-profit organisations to grow their businesses.
“Business membership organisations like the LCCI provide SMEs with additional
capacity, financial support, networking, business intelligence and industrial
backing to enable them succeed in the Nigerian economy”, he said.
2015 Young African Leadership
Initiative (YALI) Fellow and a Kaymu entrepreneur, Chioma Agha shared key
business lessons learned at the Barack Obama initiative with the entrepreneurs
who were excited at the opportunity to network with industry leaders and learn
valuable business lessons.
Charles Okanlawon, a participant at the
event stated, “the partnership between Kaymu and LCCI to launch the
Entrepreneurs Club in Nigeria is a commendable one. I have been empowered with
managerial skills, sales and customer service tips as well as the technological
know-how to drive my business and I am keen on implementing these lessons
learned in my business endeavor”.
Over the years, SMEs have played a
vital role in Nigeria’s economic development; their strength has been the
foundation for the growth and development of the business sector and
entrepreneurial driven initiatives like the Entrepreneurs Club are necessary
for advancement of the nation as a whole. The Entrepreneurs Club is a quarterly
event that seeks to empower entrepreneurs and start-ups with business know-how
to enhance their operations and sales