Business
NCC Partners SMEDAN, Creates Digital Academy For SMEs
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has collaborated with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to establish a digital academy for SMEs.
According to a statement, SME Digital Academy is a public-private partnership initiative driven by it, SMEDAN, and Sapphital Learning Limited.
It added that the partnership aimed to equip entrepreneurs and start-ups with the necessary digital skills required to navigate a digitised world.
The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said the commission had continued to work towards providing information and communications technology support to various sectors in the country.
He added that with over 41 million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Nigeria, proper empowerment of entrepreneurs would create an extremely powerful impact on the nation’s economic growth.
Represented by the NCC’s Director, Digital Economy, Dr. Austin Nwaulune, at the launch in Abuja, Danbatta said, “Knowledge is pivotal to the growth of entrepreneurship, as it provides the businessman or woman the know-how on raising capital, strategic partnership, and proper organisational, administrative, sales and marketing skills required to run an effective business.
“Knowledge is, therefore, the food of every economy, especially the digital economy, as it fuels its growth and stimulates the digital ecosystem”.
The Director-General, SMEDAN, Dr Dikko Radda, who was represented by the agency’s Director, Enterprise Development and Promotion, Moses Ewans, said, “These small-scale enterprises need to be encouraged and nurtured to enable them to create jobs and contribute to the alleviation of poverty and want.
“SMEDAN, which is an agency in the Federal Ministry of Trade and Industry and established over 15 years ago, operates on five platforms, namely dissemination of information, delivery of business development services, networking and cluster formation, policy and public advocacy, and lastly, provision of access to critical resources”.
Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.
