Collaboration
By Funmi Gboteku/Chiazo Ogbolu
Lagos, May 15, 2018 (NAN) The Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Bank, Mr Uzoma Dozie, on Tuesday called for collaboration among stakeholders toward ensuring the growth of small businesses in Nigeria.
Dozie made the appeal at the opening of TechFest 2018 organised by Diamond bank in partnership with Microsoft, MTN, Interswitch and Deloitte.
The two-day event taking place at the Landmark Event Centre, Oniru, Lagos, had the theme: “Spark Your Curiosity”.
TechFest is expected to feature the best talents in the Nigerian technology space, one of the country’s fastest growing sectors.
It is meant to showcase technological solutions for business, connect technology providers with new markets and provide access to market opportunities for tech startups, among other objectives.
Dozie said: “This event is not about individual partners but about people coming together to create a platform that will help small business owners to grow.
“Nigerians are ready to accept technology; it is just that there are not enough platforms that can push their ideas forward and popularise them.
“This is a new world, and in any business, there is need to make people happy and transform their lives.’’
According to him, all partners will be giving advisory services and access to technology.
Mr Opeyemi Olaniyan, Business Group Director, Cloud, Microsoft Nigeria, said that businesses would require a level of investment for them to be driven by technology.
Olaniyan said that Microsoft was bringing cloud technology to TechFest so that small businesses could leverage on it for their growth.
“It is the wealth of technology that Microsoft wants to offer to small businesses to make them bigger and better,’’ the director said.
He noted that 47 years ago, Microsoft was a small idea but had metamorphosed into a multinational company.
“We are committed to encouraging small businesses to showcase their ideas.’’
Olaniyan said that many challenges of small businesses such as power would be tackled with the Microsoft cloud technology which would offer them the ability to operate the pay-as-you-go profile.
“For this partnership, Microsoft is bringing in cutting-edge technology such as its cloud technology that will help them in scaling up when there is an issue with power.’’
Mrs Chioma Afe, the Head, Corporate Communications Division of Diamond bank, said that Techfest was aimed at creating a platform where Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and partners could collaborate.
She said that SMEs needed to collaborate and connect with other people to understand how best to make headway in their businesses.
“This event is an avenue to boost the image of both small and medium-sized enterprises.
“Since we live in a digital age, SMEs must learn to do most of their transactions online as technology is the driving force globally,’’ Afe said. (NAN)
FOG/CAN/AIB/IGO
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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde/Ijeoma Popoola