Entrepreneurship, SMEs can reduce unemployment in Nigeria – 9mobile

Olalekan Fatusa, director of Enterprise Business at 9mobile, has identified entrepreneurship and the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as the fastest route to overcome the unemployment challenge in Nigeria.

According to Fatusa, the growth of SMEs in Nigeria is important because it offers an avenue to create jobs and empower the population.

Speaking in Port Harcourt recently at the third edition of 9mobile ‘the Hack’ an entrepreneurship initiative, Fatusa said the programme is out to help youth to optimise and grow their business.

“What we are doing today is to show you how to grow your niche and improve your businesses, as well as provide you with all the tools to scale. We recorded a gender mix in the other cities where we have held this same programme, but Port Harcourt stands out with a larger number of young female business owners. It is impressive and encouraging to see our women show the willingness to grow their businesses,” he said.

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Tricia Olufemi-Olumide, a business growth expert and the key facilitator at the forum, took the SMEs in participation through the strategies needed to grow their businesses such as product development, sales channel optimisation, complimentary products and services, collaboration and partnerships, continuous online presence, and deployment of strategic public relations tools.

Olufemi-Olumide emphasised the need for SMEs to leverage the diverse opportunities of online platforms beyond selling.

“I encourage you to get on these platforms not to sell primarily but to gain massive visibility because people now look for adverts online to make business decisions,” she urged.

Oluwasegun Dawodu, manager of Corporate and SMEs Markets at 9mobile, also interacted with the attendees and said the Hack is a smart shortcut to getting something done because there are different ways of creating solutions.

“The Hack is when you know how to upscale your business using technological solutions and tools. At 9mobile, we have the focus and the mindset of SMEs,” Dawodu said.

The Hack by 9mobile is a free enterprise initiative and networking event where seasoned SMEs and business leaders share business fundamentals and insights to help upcoming businesses scale up. It is one of 9mobile’s sustainability pillars entrenched in its brand DNA to grow the SME market, mitigate unemployment challenges and consolidate Nigeria’s economy.