By Ifeoma Ejiofor
From all indications, Anambra will soon become the new SME hub in Nigeria if the state government provides an enabling environment and adopt policies that will be favorable to start ups in order to achieve this feat.
This indication emerged in the just concluded UNDER45CEOS business summit which held on Saturday, at the Presidential hall of Patterson Auditorium, All Saints cathedral, Onitsha.
The business summit was powered by the Ultimate Destiny Uplifters Foundation (UDUF), a not for profit organization, which is committed to inspiring and helping young people attain their lives’ aspirations and fulfill their destinies by rising above mediocrity.
In his keynote, Professor Olusegun Sogbesan (the Director General, Onitsha Business School) while speaking on the theme, ” Business Repositioning In A New Global Economy” emphasized the need for startups to be innovative in their ventures and charged government at all levels to give adequate attention to SMEs based on the fact that they hold the key to the economic growth of any country.
He pointed out that the fluctuations that has become the bane of Nigeria’s currency was as a result of the glaring neglect of the SMEs and predicted that unless necessary measures were put in place to encourage Small and Medium enterprises, the economy will continue to nosedive, noting that there is tendency that the exchange rate of dollar to naira will continue to hit the roof.
Prof Sogbesan charged young entrepreneurs to develop a global mindset, maintaining that though money was essential in any business venture, yet it should not take the place of bankable idea which is the real capital in business parlance, adding that any idea not acted upon will not see the light of the day.
He advised entrepreneurs to be focused and honest and encouraged them to always skill up, seeking timely information in order to improve their businesses and explore ways they can interface with regulatory bodies and financial institutions to stay out of trouble and source for funds for their expansion.
In his welcome address, the founding president of UDUF, Dr. Chinedu Smart Ezuma stated that the UNDER45CEOS business summit was packaged to bring together entrepreneurs at all levels including regulators and financial institutions to explore ways and identify practical models to take on challenges faced by the startups in the state.
Prominent entrepreneurs like Arinze Omenwa, CEO Naira Rice, Amara Okafor of Paint Divah, Destiny Wobuoma founder of DX photo studio and Mrs Ego Okonkwo of Victory model International School, shared their success stories during the summit.
They all in unison agreed that nothing can substitute for innovativeness in business and maintained that it has become a necessary ingredient which can take the entrepreneur far in life.
Government agencies like NAFDAC, NIRSAL, Microfinance bank and Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) participated fully at the summit and equally outlined ways their various agencies could be of assistance to these young entrepreneurs in maximizing their potentials