Glo targets 17 million Nigerian SMEs with SMEDAN pact

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Globacom and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) have announced an alliance that lets the telecoms company target 17 million small and medium business owners in the country.

According to Globacom, “the partnership which will cover about 17 million entrepreneurs under SMEDAN is seen as a huge stimulus to boost economic growth in the country.”

Kamaldeen Shonibare, Head, Corporate Sales of Globacom says that the telecoms company plans to empower business owners that are members of SMEDAN by providing them access to grants, soft loans and capacity training programmes.

Globacom teamed up with SMEDAN on the initiative because Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises were the engine room for the rapid growth of the economy because of their closeness and importance to the day-to-day existence of the people, he adds.

“As a proudly Nigerian company, Globacom is partnering with SMEDAN to catapult Nigeria to greatness through the empowerment of SMEDAN’s over 17 million members. We will support SMEDAN and its affiliates with funds, sensitization workshops and business tools. We will also support the Industrial Development Centres being established in some states of the federation. Our dream is to catapult numerous five thousand naira businesses to a half a million naira enterprises within one year,” Shonibare says.

SMEDAN members are to get more telecoms benefits as Globacom will offer them specialised lines for better and seamless communication, according to the telecoms company.

Mr. Bature Umar Masari, Director-General of SMEDAN, says that, “SMEDAN is happy to partner with an indigenous company which has become a global brand. Ever since Glo demystified the myth that per-second billing for calls was not possible, they have not stopped developing products and services that are beneficial to Nigerians, especially the masses.”

The partnership, which will run for an initial period of five years with the opportunity for attractive call rates as Closed User Groups (CUGs) and a channel to advertise their products and services via Call Back Ring Tone, says the SMEDAN DG.

Under the plan, Globacom will also give 10 percent of the net revenue from the partnership to select Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) who subscribed to its telecoms package says Masari, who adds that, “it is also laudable that this initiative was well thought through and has stakeholders input and buy-in.”