Over
100 entrepreneurs in the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector attended the
12th edition of Etisalat’s business networking seminar, Market
Access, which held on Wednesday, April 29, 2015 at The Dome Hall, Port
Harcourt, Rivers State.
Themed
‘‘Enhancing SME Growth through Access to Market’’, the one-day business
networking and knowledge sharing session was described as part of Etisalat’s
contribution towards developing the SME sector of the Nigerian economy.
Speaking
at the event the Head, Regional Sales, South-South, Etisalat Nigeria, Enekwachi
Aja said the telecommunications company believed that the SME sector has
abundant growth opportunities and it would continue to support the sector in
order for it to sustain the economy.
Aja
added, ‘‘At Etisalat, Market Access offers us the opportunity to educate and
empower our business partners in the SME sector with information and networking
opportunities needed to succeed in their businesses.’’
He revealed
that ‘‘10 entrepreneurs received a grant of N2 million each and 6-month
mentorship program at Enterprise Development Center (EDC), Pan-Atlantic
University, in the first edition of Etisalat’s Easybusiness Millionaires Hunt –
another platform through which Etisalat Nigeria empowers SMEs.’’
Aja
emphasized that Small and Medium enterprises are important to all economies in
the world, especially in developing countries like Nigeria with major
employment and income distribution challenges and that sector should never be
neglected.
Since
inception, the seminar has taken place in Port Harcourt, Abuja and Lagos with a
combined audience of over 2,000 entrepreneurs. The next editions of the
Etisalat SME Market Access takes place in Abuja and Lagos.