My experience at the SME Toolkit Nigeria Conference 2010.

SME Toolkit Nigeria Conference 2010

The SME Toolkit Nigeria Conference 2010 was sponsored by IFC, SME Toolkit, IBM, Grofin and Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan-African University. It was held on the 24th of November, 2010 @ Terra Kulture, Plot 1376 Tiamiyu Savage Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos.

[button]The theme of the SME Toolkit Nigeria Conference 2010 was Harvesting Innovation in Small Business Solutions.[/button]

The purpose of the was;

1. To bring together Trainers, Users, Experts, Content and Service providers to redefine and set a new agenda on how the toolkit can impact even more on the SME sector in Nigeria.
2. To discuss critical matters, gather ideas for the further improvement of the SME Toolkit using the conference to drive the process.
3. To reflect and discuss on the localization, customization, delivery and quality assurance of Business Edge Training methodology.

Roll call of speakers at the Event;

1. Peter Bamkole is the Director, Enterprise Development Centre
2. Solomon Adegbie Quaynor is the Country Manager of IFC Nigeria
3. Bosun Tijani is Project Manager, Social Entrepreneur, Development Consultant, and Principal Partner of InnCite Ltd.
4. Sunday Ojuolape is the CEO of Life Entrepreneur Institute
5. Moyowa Owolabi is a Serial Entrepreneur and technology opportunist.
6. Hermann Cakpo is the founder and CEO H & C Technologies, a business development service provider based in Cotonou (Benin).
7. Tolu Akindele currently works with Grofin Nigeria – a venture finance company.
8. Chidinma Lawanson is the Proposition Head, Micro, Small & Medium (MSME) at Diamond Bank.
9. Mario Gomes is an Operations Officer, working in the Advisor Service for SME’s Sub Saharan Dept. of the IFC
10. Nneka Okekerau is the Centre Manager of Enterprise Development Centre.
11. Lolo Masha is the Business Development Manager for English-Speaking West Africa at Google Inc
12. Nuhu Danjuma is the Chief Project Officer in charge of training and research for Small and Medium enterprises at the Centre for Microenterprise Development.
13. Kate Iketubosin is the Managing Director of Stern & Kay Consulting.
14. Adeyemi Adewole is the Managing Director of Adcem Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
15. Bolanle Adekunle is a Manager in one of the Healthplus Pharmaceuticals outlets in Lagos.
16. Margaret Jackson is the Managing Partner of Rainbow Consult.

With this lineup of Speakers you can reach a conclusion if the conference was richly rewarding or not, all the speakers did a good job dishing out tips and tactics that will help SMEs perform better. Personally, I took particular interest in 3 of the speakers because they focused on areas that are business growth drivers in Nigeria, the Speakers are; Lolo Masha of Google Inc, Chidinma Lawson of Diamond Bank and Tolu Akindele of Grofin Nigeria. They spoke a lot about what there organisations are doing to help small businesses grow and I wholeheartedly say Kudos to them!

If you are Small Business Owner make sure you attend events like this, because your “Network determines your Networth.” Start a FATE Foundation or Enterprise Development Centre entrepreneurial course to help us understand how to manage your business better and build a network of like minds.

Young entrepreneurs need to attend more conferences like the SME Toolkit Nigeria Conference 2010.