Ajumogobia, Kolawole, Others for Economic Summit in Lagos
African countries must accelerate effort to support entrepreneurship on the continent in five different areas that include funding, education, policy, infrastructure and culture, the Africa Shapers, a non-profit that is set to celebrate this year’s Global Entrepreneurship Week in Lagos has said.
In a statement, the Director, Africa Shapers, Lekan Fatodu, explained that the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Week to be observed in Lagos will be held at Four Points by Sheraton on November 19. The event, he said will attract conference speakers that include Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Odein Ajumogobia, the first Nigerian that delivered an Offshore Subsea Construction Vessel for oil and gas sector and the Chief Executive Officer of Marine Platforms, Mr. Taofik Adegbite, a consummate businesswoman and Chief Executive Officer of Mojec International, Ms. Chantelle Abdul, the founder and CEO of the London-based Bright Entertainment Network (BEN) Television, Alistair Soyode, and the Nigeria Police Spokesperson, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Bisi Kolawole who will speak on security framework for entrepreneurship growth in Africa.
“Our continent must prepare to meet the opportunities of this century. Entrepreneurship will be the driver of change for the entire continent. That is the reason this conference is holding. There must be a platform for exchange of that idea and that is what Africa Shapers is known for”, he said.
He added: “When American President, Barack Obama visited Kenya recently for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, GeoPoll, the world’s largest mobile survey platform surveyed 200 entrepreneurs per country in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, asking them what resources are most needed to encourage entrepreneurship, what programs they have participated in to improve their businesses, and what are the biggest challenges facing new businesses, they all talked about financial resources, better facilities and services, and government support to alleviate the challenges new businesses face.
“We know that starting a business is both fun and exciting but at the same time it can be extremely hard and complex. Many first-time founders get discouraged when looking at the survival rates of new startups, and fear the societal pressures of what might happen if they fail. This is the gap that Africa Shapers is trying to fill by providing mentors and educators who can help by enabling the founders to regain their self-confidence and providing them with tangible tools to overcome the typical barriers.”
Fatodu explained further that “the event will also create opportunity to discuss the recent adoption of sustainable development goal by the United Nations as a way of ensuring that we create responsible businesses on the continent in our quest for enduring entrepreneurship.”