Sawubona Advisory selected as knowledge partner for SME franchising exhibition

Global exhibitions company, Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions has selected Sawubona Advisory Services, a research, advisory and venture management firm as knowledge partner for the SME and Franchising Nigeria Exhibition and Congress.

The event, Africa’s first and largest business to business platform with a focus on SME and Franchising, will hold on December 2-3 2015 at the Eko International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Lagos, Nigeria.

Jamie Hill, Director – Life Sciences Group Africa, Informa Life Science Group Africa noted that with the critical role SMEs are expected to play in bridging the job-creation gap in Africa, an event like the SME & Franchising Exhibition and Conference provides a critical platform for capacity development and market access for these SMEs.

“Experts across the continent are unanimous in their position that SME development and sustainability will be essential if Africa is to achieve more even growth and development. The SME & Franchising Exhibition and Conference has been designed to provide catalytic support for SMEs to sustainably create value and thrive in a very dynamic economic environment like Nigeria,” he noted.

He stressed that Informa Life Sciences Exhibitons’ decision to collaborate with Sawubona was borne out of its desire to develop a relevant conference and exhibition model, which will have a valuable impact on participating SMEs.

“The SME environment is also very dynamic as the assumptions that drive business sustainability change regularly and we thought it was strategic to collaborate with an organization that understands this.

Sawubona has extensive market experience over the years in supporting small businesses to sustainability so it was a natural fit for both organisations to collaborate on this project,” he stated.

Managing Partner, Sawubona Advisory Services, Obinna Igwebuike who will also Chair one of the Conference sessions, stated that the event provides tremendous opportunities for participating SMEs. He opines, “The Nigerian economic environment has had challenges in the past year due to falling oil prices, but this is not the full story. Significant opportunities still exist, especially in the country’s consumer market. For SMEs to take advantage of these opportunities, they need to build internal organizational enablers and also access other market participants.

The Informa SME & Franchising Conference provides all these.”

At the event, two participating SMEs also have the opportunity of winning one-year complimentary growth-consulting service from Sawubona Advisory Services.