Co-founder, Jasper SME Hub, Emmanuel Olujobi, has said that Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are the catalyst to national and economic growth.
Emphasising this, he stated that SMEs in Nigeria contribute 46 per cent to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to a report by PwC.
Olujobi said this at the SMEFest 2023 titled: Accelerating economic growth through SME inclusion.
He reiterated the Hub’s commitment to empowering 25,000 businesses on the right platforms and tools to scale up by the end of the year.
The conference brought together stakeholders, emerging businesses and policymakers within the SME space to discuss ways SMEs can explore opportunities, tools and digital platforms for growth.
It featured panel discussions and presentations on opportunities, programmes and policies that would help SME start-ups become unicorns. Conversations around the impact of emerging technologies such as Web 3.0 and the metaverse on the SME sector were also explored.
Panelists emphasised the contributions of the SME sector to job creation and growth of the nation’s GDP, while also amplifying the potential of the Nigerian SME sector.
Strategy Consultant, John Madayese, spoke on ‘Winning Through the Flanks’, took participants through a journey on growth opportunities for small and medium businesses in Nigeria post the general elections.
As part of this year’s conference, selected businesses seeking to raise funds or expand their network had an opportunity to pitch their businesses to prospective investors and partners.
