SMEDAN partners Facebook, Google to provide digital skills for MSMES

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has entered into partnership with Facebook and Google towards providing quality digital skills training for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMES) in Nigeria.

This latest move is in line with global practice in linking and bridging the communication gaps between MSMES and the global market place.

Available statistics revealed that there are currently about 41 million MSMES in the country, employing over 50 percent of the nation’s workforce.

A statement from the Corporate Affairs Unit of the Agency stated that the training will commence on Monday, 19th August, 2019 in 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The statement further quoted the director general and chief executive officer of SMEDAN, Dikko Umaru Radda, as saying the training programme was a topmost priority of the Agency considering the importance of information and communication technology (ICT) to the development of MSMES worldwide, adding Nigeria cannot be an exception.

Radda also added that the agency partnered with Facebook and Google to bridge the gaps between MSMES and the global market.

“We have witnessed how small businesses are making their impact felt in the social media using Facebook, Instagram and even Twitter. They make huge sales. This training will further build their capacity in making more inroads into the market,” he said.

The SMEDAN boss pointed out that the digital skills would be handled by Google and Facebook while SMEDAN would take charge of the entrepreneurship development aspect of the training.

At the close of work on a cool Friday evening, Bayo Akinwale, an accountant, decided to treat his colleagues to a sumptuous meal at a popular restaurant in Lagos.

On arriving there, they could not easily gain access as there was a large queue of people rushing to order their meals. Then a friend suggested Sweet Sensation or Tastee Fried Chicken (TFC).

At Sweet Sensation, they were marvelled by the additional new menus, nice ambience and the games arena. It was a departure from the old and boring meals of the past.

“We started this change six months ago in a bid to offer pocket-friendly meals, nice environment and better quality services to please our customers,” John Idems, social media manager at Sweet Sensation, told Businessday.

But not only Sweet Sensation, TFC is also changing with the times. Sweet Sensation and TFC are amongst the pioneers of the Quick Service Restaurants (QSR), or fast food restaurants, in Nigeria.

Between 1994 and 1996, when Sweet Sensation and TFC (both local brands) started, they were spots for those who wanted to impress their lovers and for family outings. They used to roll out limited menu of pastries, beef, chicken, apple pies, sausage rolls, doughnuts and ice cream. And also food menu like jollof or fried rice, salad and chicken, a far cry from the extensive menu on offer today.

But after some time, new and foreign QSRS like The Place, Dominos, Mega Chicken, etc. started springing up by introducing more varieties of delicious, nutritious food to consumers and also created a comfortable and fun environment for lovers of fun.

According to consumer experts, the pioneers have realised that in order to stay relevant to their customers and fight for market share in the QSR industry, they have to be innovative by creating more delicacies and a comfortable and fun environment.

“They are competing with their peers and staying in tune with the current trends. Consumers go for QSR for three main things, namely, the food, the comfortable environment and the innovation of its meals in terms of varieties,” said Abiola Gbemisola, consumer analyst at Chapel Hill Denham.

“One of the important things to a customer is that even if he or she gets to a QSR to get a particular food, he or she might change his mind based on what he or she sees,” Gbemisola said.

Ayorinde Akinloye, a consumer analyst at CSL Stockbrokers, said the pioneers are trying to get into consumers’ psychology and that rather than allow them to just buy food and go, they create a nice and comfortable environment so that they cannot just buy food but also sit and gist with friends and family.

“That is why stores at Shoprite will attract more people because of the kind of environment they have and that appeals to consumers’ psychology”.