Kano Governor, Dana Air, Others Honoured At 2016 Nigeria Entrepreneurs Awards

It was a mixture of glitz and glamour at the 2016 edition of the prestigious and highly celebrated NIGERIA ENTREPRENEURS AWARD which held on the 18th of November 2016, at the Ladi Kwali hall Sheraton Hotel, Abuja.

Speaking at the event, Abdullahi Ganduje, Governor of Kano State called for more involvement of the youths in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) to enhance economic growth and ensure food sustainability in the country.

The governor said that the SMEs needed more attention than they were currently getting to promote the efforts of the Federal Government to diversify the economy. “In order to feed ourselves, produce and export, we have to look at the SMEs,” he said.

The Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Mr. Bashir Wali, said that SMEs were regarded globally as the bedrock of development in any economy.
Wali was represented by Head of Strategic Planning, NEXIM, Mr Tayo Omidiji.

The NEXIM boss said that there was need to develop proper police responses to the issues and challenged SMEs in the country to support efforts by the government to diversify the economy and enhance economic growth.
“In Nigeria, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency has observed that there are about 37 million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in Nigeria employing about 60 million people.

The co-Founder, Nigeria Entrepreneurs Award, Mr. Joshua Uwabor said that encouraging and rewarding entrepreneurial instinct was the economic success of any nation. “They are men and women, who against the tide of recession and economic challenges continue to innovate and provide opportunities for ideas to blossom into job opportunities and economic growth for the nation.”

Highlights of the ceremony included the presentations of different categories of awards to recipients which include Abdullahi Ganduje, Governor of Kano State, His Imperial Majesty, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Stella Dimoko Korkus, Nigerian Communication Commission, Accion Microfinance Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Dana Air, Dufil Prima Foods, Hall7 Real Estate, Stanbic Ibtc Pension, Comrade Samson Ugwoke, Dr Kennedy Okonkwo others are Sungold Group, Energia Oil & Gas, Cardinal Security, NPF Microfinance Bank and others.