Bank, consultants train MSMEs on entrepreneurship

Worried by the recent report from the National Bureau of Statistics showing a huge capacity gap among the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country, the Stanbic IBTC Bank and Be Better Consulting have begun empowering small venture owners with fundamental business survival skills in Kano and Abuja.

The workshops were essentially designed to equip SME owners with the requisite skills needed to effectively manage their businesses by focusing on the three major pillars of every business – financial management, sales and marketing, and human resources management.

At the events well attended by small business owners from various sectors, including manufacturing, agricultural, clothing, construction and health, the guest speaker, Omagbitse Barrow, challenged SME owners to use financial data and analysis to enhance the quality of business decisions they take at every point in time. He exposed the participants to a number of ground-breaking marketing and sales strategies that can enhance their business performance.
Also, Mrs. Amina Bolujoko, who is the Executive Director of Be Better Consulting provided the participants with a number of practical tools to boost the management of human resources in their businesses.

She assured participants of support from her company and encouraged other financial institutions to take a cue from Stanbic IBTC Bank in building the capacity of the small business owners so that they can make meaningful contribution to the development of the nation’s economy.

At the interactive learning environment, the facilitators took the participants through some highly effective and educative communication styles, just as the learners took the opportunity to seek and get expert solution to some of the challenges facing their operations, especially in the area of financial management of their businesses.

According to a statement, the Stanbic IBTC’s Regional Head of Business Banking in Abuja, Mr. Wole Oshin, said the bank is interested in boosting the capability of its SME clients and enhance their abilities to manage their businesses and support the growth of the Nigerian economy.

Lauding the programme in Kano, Zahraddeen Bala of Santiariun Global Resources said: “The knowledge gained at this event was priceless”, just as Mr. Stevens Ajibolu of Elishama Resources Ventures Ltd who commented on the Abuja event said: “It has been a profitable session and I look forward to more of this.”

The statement noted that the intervention is also timely in the light of the pledge by the new administration to reduce unemployment in the country.