February 14, 2018

The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, through its Business Entrepreneurship, Skills and Technology (BEST), has rolled out programmes for capacity building for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Prof. Adesoji Adesugba, the Chamber’s Vice President in charge of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Provost of the centre, said this at the unveiling of the programme with partners and facilitators.

Adesugba said this in a statement signed by Mr Gena Lubem, Media and Protocol Officer of the chamber in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said that such trainings could not have come at a better time other than now when Nigeria was taking a leap into the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) index.

He said that modules had been developed to take care of the basic and core areas of SMEs development, management and sustainability.

Adesugba said that with the prevailing technological drive in the chamber, some of the courses would be taken in remote locations, adding that the courses would commence from March 2018.

He said that Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) had already been signed with several globally renowned institutions in the fields of Gemmology, ICT, Business Law, Leadership and Business Management and Public Service centres and organisations.

Adesugba said that most of the courses were to be certified with Diploma and Advanced Diploma from the partnering institutions.

“The main aim of the programme is for us to comprehensively take into consideration the major concerns of the SMEs with a view to holistically address and place them on the pedestal of sustainable development.

“The target markets for the BEST centre are entrepreneurs, business owners, artisans, entry level graduates, professionals, government agencies and investment promotion agencies.

‘‘Others are captains of industry, hotel owners, retiring public or private sector employers, among several others,” he added.

Ms Victoria Akai-Dare, Coordinator of the centre, said the courses would be driven through creativity that would see to the maintenance and enhancement of strong, long-term relationship that would ensure prospects of businesses.

“The BEST centre investment promotion trainings are already being introduced to governments and agencies at the federal and state levels that are involved in the investment and Foreign Direct Investment processes.

‘‘The trainings on custom processes will be targeted at upcoming businesses involved in import and export activities.

Akai-Dare said that the specific courses cut across ICT, gemology, business, entrepreneurship, marketing, product development and branding, leadership management, health safety, environment, hospitality, law, project management, accounting, pre and post retirement trainings.