Stakeholders in the industry sector have sought expansion and professionalism of the consulting industry to boost the South-South economy.

They lamented that the region is experiencing a shortage of professional consultants.

The stakeholders stated this at the Benin Consultants Convention (BCC) with the theme, ‘Adapt and Advance,’ held in Benin City, Edo State.

Chief Learning Officer/Executive Consultant at Process and Paradigms Consulting, Mr Ogaga Omo-Ovie, said many organisations in the region are struggling with specialised challenges that require the intervention of trained experts.

Omo-Ovie described consultants as problem diagnosticians and solution providers, urging organisations to engage their services to boost productivity and achieve sustainable growth.

He noted that solving organisational problems creates economic value, and South-South states such as Edo are rife with challenges that can be effectively addressed through professional consulting expertise.

He writes: “Ask good questions that will improve your consulting business, and network wherever you find yourself so you can grow and build your business.
“This convention is the second edition, and the purpose is to open Edo State and the South-South to the business of consulting.
“There are many companies in Benin City, such as schools, hotels, mega malls, and shops that have staffing problems, revenue problems, and operational challenges, and it takes consultants to solve these problems.
“We have a short supply of consultants in the South-South, which is why we are raising awareness and helping ignite passion for the consulting industry.”

Differentiating between consulting and training, Omo-Ovie added, “Consulting is like an umbrella body under which training is subsumed. Consulting involves diagnosing a problem and, at the same time, offering solutions.
“Training is an intervention meant to solve a problem. Some people train without diagnosing the problem, and that is why the training doesn’t work. It takes a consultant to diagnose a problem and prepare a training plan that can solve it. If you don’t diagnose properly and you go ahead to train, you will have problems.”

He noted that his goal after the event is to see the consulting industry grow in Edo State and to raise awareness of consulting among more people.

In his remarks, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Birch Hill Consulting, Susan Charles, discussed various strategies for solving organisational challenges.

She said one of the most important strategies is root cause analysis, explaining that many businesses struggle because owners focus on symptoms rather than the root cause.

Charles noted that business owners must identify the symptoms they are experiencing and trace them to their underlying cause.

She added, “Once you dig down to the root of the problem, you can begin to fix it one step at a time. By the time you are done, you will realise you have solved the problem.”

In a practical session, Partner at Alan & Grant Company Limited, Gbenga Totoyi, urged participants to have clarity about what they want to do before venturing into the consulting business.

Totoyi advised them to cultivate a strong reading habit, saying reading helps people discover new ideas, using himself as an example.

He added that he often rates people based on the books they read because what people read influences how they think.

He also encouraged participants to study their competitors to stay focused and to embrace travel as a way to learn new things.