As globalization continues to open up more opportunities for business expansion all over the world, business owners in Niger Delta have been advised to take advantage of networking and digital marketing to grow their businesses and make more money.
The advice was given at the 4th Business Linkages Forum with the theme: Linking SMES to Global Value Chains, organized by Wider Perspectives Limited in collaboration with the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA) at Azny Place, GRA Phase III, Port Harcourt.
The programme, which featured entrepreneurship experts, digital/ online business gurus, captains of industries and officials of Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), National Food, Drug Adminis
tration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), Bank of Industry (BOI), Nigeria Export Import (NEXIM) bank, Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) and SMEDAN as resource persons, had a lot of participants from Rivers State in particular and other parts of the Niger Delta Region in attendance.
During the programme, participants were told how to link their businesses to global value chains that would enable them explore the benefits such networking offers as well as the risks involved when due processes were not followed.
Sharing their experience, the resource persons explained the nitty-gritty of their fields of business specialization ranging from digital/ online services to manufacturing, marketing, export, processing and mentoring.
In his presentation, Tuoyo Blessing, who represented the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), said the group, which was set up in 2010 by Chevron Corporation for conflict resolution and partnership in the Niger Delta, has been assisting farmers in the region while partnering with SMEDANS to achieve its goals.
The President of Port Harcourt Chamber Of Commerce, the chief, Nabil Saleh, represented by the Chairman, Professionals and Consultants Trade Group, Clement Akanibo, said the gathering demonstrated a strong desire by PHCCIMA to build bridges across the business community. He added that irrespective of how small a business was, that there was a desire to see it grow and ensure that businesses thrive.
He said that presently, there are millions of micro business entrepreneurs in Nigeria contributing almost half of the nation’s GDP to the tune of 47.8 per cent and 7.2 per cent in terms of export. He said this underscored their importance to the nation’s economy. “No wonder they are creating room for growth and economic prosperity in Nigeria today. We believe that together, we shall change the economy of Nigeria to be stronger and bigger.
Earlier in her address, Edughom Hanson, Managing Director, Wider Perspectives, said the idea to organize a business linkages forum was informed by the need to promote SME Development by connecting SMES to large buyers thereby facilitating business linkages. She added that the objectives of the forum include access to finance, wealth and job creation, market linkages, export opportunities and networking through interactions.
In his special remark, Kalada Apiafi, chairman of Wider Perspectives Ltd, said: “One of the ways we can solve our problems in Nigeria is for each individual to make his life a mission, not an intervention,” adding that they are not daunted by the SME challenges they are facing.
There was an exhibition of SMES and their products and services. The programme also featured a technical session that included a panel discussion.
