THE Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, Teju Abisoye, has praised Google for it’s new initiative targeted at 5,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs across Africa.
Google said that the newly created Hustle Academywould provide free training to 5,000 SMEs and entrepreneurs in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa.
The program is accessible to businesses who have been in existence for at least a year, have formed a business strategy, have defined their product or service offering, and are looking to expand. In addition, they must have produced a profit in the past 12 months or be within one to three months of breaking even.
The academy is a boot camp-style training program meant to assist entrepreneurs and small business owners in positioning their organizations for investment opportunities and developing viable future models. It also gives you access to a worldwide network of mentors and graduates.
Abisoye lauded the academy as a commendable initiative that will increase business possibilities while also having the desired impact at the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund.
Business owners will receive 3000 hours of training on fundamental areas of business and five days of hands-on training to help them manage the problems faced by SMEs in Africa. Among other things, the training curriculum includes strategic growth sessions such as business growth strategy, establishing digital marketing roadmaps, discovering and analyzing funding avenues, and how to pitch for success.
Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, Head of Brand and Reputation for Sub-Saharan Africa, stated, “SMEs are the engine that drives growth in any economy.” SMEs account for over 80% of jobs in Africa and are a vital driver of economic growth. It is critical that small businesses have access to the necessary tools, training, and funding to scale up in order to expand the economy and boost employment
“The Hustle Academy’s mission is to assist entrepreneurs navigate the business challenges they face by providing them with the appropriate tools and knowledge.
“A core intent of the Academy is to support SMBs with the right skills, resources and access to thrive and grow.”
“Our hope is that through the Hustle Academy training this year, we will be able to assist 5,000 SMEs and entrepreneurs across Africa take their business to the next level and find ways to scale our efforts to help even more businesses going forward,” Aderemi-Makinde said.
