Group Tasks Govt, Private Sector On Social Entrepreneurship

The Social Enterprise Net
work of Nigeria (SENN) has urged both corporate organisations and the government to support social entrepreneurs, to curb the tide of social problems in the country.
The National Coordinator of  SENN, Mr Oluwadamilola Famakinwa,  told newsmen  in Lagos that many social entrepreneurs lacked sufficient funds required to tackle social problems.
Social entrepreneurs are individuals with innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems such as access to education, quality healthcare, shelter, poverty and environmental concerns, amongst others.
Famakinwa said corporate organisations needed to go beyond the performance of acts of Corporate Social Responsibly (CSR) as an image laundering activity, but support social entrepreneurs with funds, for greater good.
He said: “In all fairness, they’ve tried their best, but I also want to encourage them there’s still more to be done. You (organisations) have these funds.
“For most of the private sector, what they do is a lot for their public relations to boost their image.
“So, I believe that the private sector, with the funds that they have, should make sure that they position themselves to support these social entrepreneurs with these funds they‘ve allocated for their CSR.
“It‘s vitally important, the private sector has these funds; even if they are going to get a monitoring team to closely monitor what these funds are used for, it’s actually okay.
“But they should make sure that they go out there to look for these social entrepreneurs.”
According to the social entrepreneur, no good deed goes unrewarded.
“I want to cite an example of Bill Gates, whom we know is a very rich man. He has realised that the more he is giving out his wealth, the wealthier he becomes.
“So even in these times when it seems that there is lack, if organisations can begin to support worthy causes, they will realise that their money would become much more.”
He added that rather than allow government facilities to lie idle or rot, government agencies needed to grant social entrepreneurs access, for societal good.
“These organisations (social entrepreneurs) need facilities; government has a lot of these facilities they are not using.
“They can provide, even a room and give it to them. For example, ICT; Government needs to train the youth on ICT.
“If you provide just the facility for any other, the social entrepreneurs who already pool funds from private sector and world organisations, can use that alongside what government has provided.
“They (government) can provide, even if it is a room and give it to them to use to train the youth on ICT, for example.”
Famakinwa, therefore, urged the states and local governments to formulate policies that could encourage social entrepreneurs to function and partner with government agencies, for the greater good of the population.