Full Gospel scales up capacity of entrepreneurs through business seminars

If you are an entrepreneur in Lagos, then you must prepare to attend the hands-on business seminars organised by the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International, South West District 3.

The Full Gospel organises annual business seminars where small and medium enterprises managers and business owners are equipped with the 21st century skills needed to compete in the ever-changing world.

This year, two seminars are coming up on June 15 and 16 at Sheraton Hotels & Towers as well as Dover Hotel simultaneously.

The theme of the seminar taking place at Dover Hotel is, ‘Building Enduring Business Through Innovation’ and it is targeted at examining why many start-ups fail within few years of establishment and why most of them do not last beyond their founders. It is meant to address the recent research showing that 56 percent of small businesses in Nigeria failed within four years.

One of the courses, ‘Innovation: Key To Enduring Modern Enterprises’ will be handled by the political economist and director at Lagos Business School, Pat Utomi.

Chioma Okoli-Chima of Olivet Cloud Nigeria Limited fame will handle ‘Small Online Stores and Digital Marketing’, while Lere Baale, director at Business School Netherlands, Lagos, will anchor a course entitled, ‘Creating True Customer Advocacy’.

Similarly, there will be a session for agribusiness entrepreneurs or those intending to go into farming. Robert Asiedu of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, will anchor a class, ‘Improving Seed Systems for Enhanced Commercial Production of Staple Crops’. It is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to know some of the latest opportunities on seeds.

Also, Nana Odejayi, head of training at First City Monument Bank, will handle a course with the title, ‘Dynamics of Career Shift and Climbing the Corporate Ladder’. This seminar costs N10, 000, according to the organisers.

There will be another seminar happening at Sheraton Hotels & Towers. Themed ‘Exploring Emerging Opportunities for Growing the Local Economy’, this seminar is targeted at exposing current opportunities in the Nigerian economy. It is also focused on educating entrepreneurs on policy changes and the altering landscape in the country’s core economic sectors such as agriculture and solid minerals.

Utomi will likewise handle a course entitled, ‘Building Collaborative Enterprises for Economic Lean Times’, while Kayode Fayemi, Nigeria’s minister of solid minerals development, will anchor ‘Government Policy Guidelines for Solid Minerals Mining’.

More so, Abiodun Adedipe, management and consultant, will handle ‘Effective Leadership for Modern Enterprises’ while Oluwatoyin Ismail, head of human resources at Nigerian Breweries, will anchor ‘Essential Workplace Communication Skills’.

The Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) will also feature a lecture on technology for primary agricultural processes.

Speaking at a press briefing to announce these business seminars in Lagos last Thursday, Eddy Eworo, chairman of the business seminar, told journalists that the focus was to equip members of Full Gospel and non-members with the new skills to make them better business men, women and career people.

Eworo said the seminars were highly subsidised because the Christian organisation was determined to make them easily accessible to the public.

“We are moving into the knowledge economy. Knowledge is what drives work. Things have changed so quickly and learning is becoming increasingly essential to success and business. We can’t be left behind in these knowledge times, which is why we want to make these available to all,” he stated.

He added that cooperative societies had been formed during previous business seminars, adding that the Full Gospel’s sessions had impacted businesses and entrepreneurs positively.

According to Uzo Odunukwe, national director at Full Gospel, it was the SMEs that turned the United States’ economy around. Odunukwe said foreigners would come into Nigeria to explore opportunities not seen by Nigerians, pointing out that these seminars were meant to unveil opportunities and funding options for small businesses.

“One good thing about this seminar is that you will get information directly and the faculty will tell you things free of charge,” he added.

ODINAKA ANUDU