Industry stakeholders recently converged in Abuja to dialogue and offer young entrepreneurs, marketplace leaders, students and innovators in Nigeria the opportunity to gain exposure about diverse industries in the marketplace from a global perspective.
The Conference, The Marketplace Stakeholders Africa, with the theme; “Making Africa Work Through Productive Intelligence”, was organised by Maime Innovation Foundation in collaboration with The Metropolitan Church, Friday to create an enabling environment for investors to maximise untapped potential and resources spread across the African continent.
Speaking at the event, the Host and Lead Steward of the Metropolitan Church, Manasseh Dogon, explained that the conference’s objective was to expose Nigerian entrepreneurs to how they can grow their businesses and make an impact.
Dogon, also a Disruptive Marketplace Mentor, while delivering a lecture on “The Art of Production Intelligence,” said “The concept of production intelligence is the instinctual ability to use one’s knowledge, experience, information, understanding, insight, reasoning or set of skills to improve the African economy by intelligently inventing a brand, software, machine, robot artificial intelligence, product, or produce a service that can poker solution to specific real-life problem.
He said through Production Intelligence, it has been discovered that so many things are left uncoordinated in Africa, adding that the conference is an avenue for captains of industry to see the perspectives and the opportunities that are within the African soil and how to maximize them.
“Overcoming barriers in business has to do with self-management. We always try to throw expectations to leaders. Since we expect leaders to do the right things, we should also do our part as businessmen and individuals.
“We must understand and look at the world from a global scale. The world is bigger than where you are. We will hold this conference quarterly and spread across other African countries like Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Africa. What we are trying to do here will serve as a blueprint to other African countries as we intend to maximize potential.”
The keynote speaker, Williams Wada, a Corporate Organisation Communication Expert, in his address stressed the need for attitudinal change among Africans, saying Africa is blessed with abundant human and natural resources not fully tapped.
“The reason why Africans have not been able to bring change to our continent is that many think the reason why we do what we do is to make more money. No, we have to change that mindset. Use your company to solve problems and not necessarily to make money. If we must dominate, there is a need to create a company. Businesses are instruments of change, and not just for making money, they are instruments for impact. ” he advised.
On her part, Dr Saadatu Adamu, Founder, Secure The Future International Initiative, commended the organisers, saying the event marked a significant moment, especially for the young people.
“A lot of people are in business but don’t understand what it takes to be in business, so having stakeholders sit together to share experiences, perspectives, challenges, and solutions is a great thing.”
Adamu urged the government at all levels to create an enabling environment for youths and entrepreneurs to thrive and also harness human capital to drive development.
Also, Mr Ehiogie Osaigbovo, the CEO of Enived Travels Limited, urged Nigerians to develop themselves with the necessary skills to be able to plug into the global economy, rather than complaining of unemployment.
The conference is considered essential and timely for entrepreneurs, in line with the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) which presents a tremendous opportunity for African entrepreneurs to expand the market for their ventures across the entire continent.
LEADERSHIP reported recently that President Bola Tinubu is to launch the Preferential Trade under the AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative (GTI).
In a statement signed by the senior trade policy and law expert/lead trade enablement, Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, Mr. Olusegun Olutayo, said this was in line with the vision of Africa’s founding fathers to unite the continent in one, shared prosperity and the renewed hope agenda of Tinubu administration.
The statement added that, “the key objectives are to demonstrate and showcase Nigeria’s trading under the AfCFTA, and that businesses in Africa can take advantage of the GTI to trade, as well as the processes through which the AfCFTA can be effectively engaged.
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