Microsoft Earmarks N12bn For SME Projects

The Country Manager, Microsoft Corporation Nig., Mr Emmanuel Onyeje, has said that the organisation had set aside N12 billion to run the ‘Microsoft for Africa Initiative’.

Onyeje made the disclosure in Lagos while addressing stakeholders at an event to mark Microsoft’s 20-years of doing business in Africa.

He said that the initiative was a new effort aimed at actively boosting Africa’s economic development to improve its global competitiveness.

The manager said that the three year project would ensure that Africans meet their aspirations of playing in the big league of economically viable nations which would require that the continent benefits from its business partners beyond Corporate Social Responsibility.

Onyeje said the project was expected to place tens of millions of smart devices in the hands of African youths and bring 1,000, 000 African Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) online.

He also noted that the project was expected to improve the skills of 100,000 African workers and help an additional 100,000 fresh graduates develop skills to increase their capability for employment and 75 per cent of which Microsoft would help place in jobs.

He said that some of the graduate trainees would be absorbed by Microsoft after the training while the rest would be absorbed by other partners of Microsoft in the project.

Onyeje said that the funds, which would be shared among African countries, would be allocated based on country’s ability to provide infrastructure to enable its citizens to draw from the fund.

He said that the company was partnering with Nokia and Bharti-Airtel in this project among its over 1,750 partners in Nigeria.

Onyeje said that the initiative was also aimed at removing development blockers in Africa to ensure the continent scales up to meet its aspirations and to be competitive among other continents.