Few weeks ago, Kogi State entrepreneurship development agency solicited support from central bank of Nigeria, Kogi State chapter in bid to drive the SME sector of the State.
Can you tell us your view while we meet you properly?
Our correspondent Abu Dan, had a chat with Aina Oladipo Michael founder and chief executive officer of step business Network in Nigeria, who has been into Small Medium Enterprise (SMEs) development for the past 7 years.
Lots of innovative business are springing up in Nigeria of which Kogi state is not left out. But the alarming rate of business closed up in Kogi state can be channel to this following reasons, Finance, Training and Business Networking which is not only affecting the state, but because the state pays less attention to the development of SMEs sector in the State as call for concern and intervention from other agency and stakeholders.
What is the principle goal and objective of Step Business Network towards Kogi State SMEs sector?
Our objective at Step Business Network is to impact lives by connecting SMEs with funding opportunities, provision of business training for purposeful outcome in Job Creation.
We are looking forward to train founders on how to start a profitable business while facing challenges as a lead consultant and stakeholder in community development and also someone whose company has churned out a number of business across the state, we are looking at training 2000 entrepreneurs and follow-up till there point of success in business for the next three years. Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu are at the forefront startup ecosystem of business development in Nigeria while Kogi state the central connecting market to the North, East & West is yet to tap into this opportunities.
Most importantly about the ease of doing business in any developing country is peace and security. We like to applaud Kogi State Governor His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello for restoring peace back to Kogi state, because some of the major reasons while business, Micro finance has been shutdown in Kogi State is because of the high rate of insecurity flaming daily, but thank God for the intervention of the Governor whom has restore peace back to Kogi state.
We all have to understand that business thrives when there is peace, no matter how good an environment is when peace is lacking business fail.
When you have peace of mind, you are at easer to build your idea in business, you will also have the right people to meet, the youth population, the knowledge base necessary to help develop.
For our development training in Kogi State, we are already encouraged with the state having four higher institutions, two are located already in the state capital Lokoja, which is encouraging and good for the state development.
We want to create 2000 jobs in Kogi state within the next three years and supply entrepreneur, (corporate or unincorporated) with growth ideas, plan of action, constancy and all assistance required to enhance the image of business and maintain the goodwill towards any organization establishment.
Do you have any unique value proposition, what are the features that separate your platform from others?
As a consulting firm, we partner with Government and Private Agency to achieve our specific goals in area of job creations.
We also support the State Government blueprint in job creation and advice for proper execution.
Our business training and entrepreneurship development platform have been designed tailored with the prerequisite needs of the Participating Financial Institutors (PFI) and investors in areas of Grant application.
We also expose them to crowdfunding platform where they could access business managerial service and scholarship management service for corporation and individuals.
Our one-on-one consultancy services have been able to Monitor and Evaluate (M&E) the challenges faced by SMEs.
In what area as your organization contributed to job creation since existence?
Our scholarship management service have given scholarship and support founds to youth in Kogi state to participate in plumping and pipe fitting, a three month training organize by Industrial Training Fund (ITF) currently ongoing in Kogi state, August 2021.
Our partnership with Abuja Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and Abuja Entrepreneurship Agency (AEA) have successfully develop 157 businesses and placed them for promotion through exhibition and free business registration with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), across FCT, Kogi and Kwara State.
We’ve also train youth and women in recycling and upcircling of solid waste in Kuje Area Council, Abuja, where we have 62 participant from the community through our partnership with Betharbel Foundation an NGO who has specialize in Solid waste recycle for over a decade now and the participant have been generating income for themselves through this skill gained.
Our business development programme explores the key design thinking concepts, technique, network, and process. The participant learns how to solve problem and use design thinking tools to drive innovation within their organization. Critical success and fashion factors are explored.
This programme has been benefiting to working professionals, entrepreneur’s consultant, unemployed graduates, and individual into are interested in building or enhancing their career in business development of management across any of the following industries: Agriculture, Manufacturing, IT Engineering, Health, Government Education and Media.
What have been the reaction of Nigeria towards Step Business Network in term of patronage and income generation?
The reaction has been good and accepted since the lunched of Step Business Network but at the beginning, it was ethic as seeking for partnership and crowdfunding network to assist our network of startup businesses and survival of our network with the high competition in the market.
At the first stage, our incomes is through training program, seminar. Later expanded in consultancy with companies and access to grants.
If you received a grant from any investor, how would you channel the resource?
It will be used to set up entrepreneurship innovation Hub fully equipped with equipment for practical life skills training and kick start our MIC CONVERSATION Channel to provide information for entrepreneurs and spring us to create our desires two thousand jobs within the next three years across FCT, Kogi, Kwara & Nassarawa State which have high communities under development.
In what areas do you think the government could help platforms like yours soar?
Invest in startups; Cerate more funding opportunities; create more scholarships especially in areas less covered – Technology, Agriculture, Fashion, Arts and Entertainment Industries in addition, the STEM curriculum that is currently being promoted by UN and fully engage by National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) need to be embraced by the state government. I will also like to use this opportunity to commend the effort of NITDA under the leadership of Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi DG NITDA, they have been performing and engaging students in practical component of Robotics & Artificial Intelligence AI.
We are also about to lunch our online conversation channel called MIC CONVERSATION, an entrepreneurial conversation show, where business expert successful captain of industries share insight on their entrepreneurship Journey and the intricacies of pursuing business in Nigeria.
This is a channel whereby information can be access for the development entrepreneurship. Access to information is the bedrock of any successful developing country.