The enterprise unit of Vodafone Ghana, Vodafone Business, has launched a ‘Business Runway Webinar Series’ to empower Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) with requisite skills, insights and opportunities for managing and building thriving businesses.

The knowledge-sharing platform, which is also aimed at building the capacities of SMEs and sharing best practices with them, reaffirms Vodafone’s undying passion and commitment to help sustain businesses.

The maiden edition of the webinar, which would be organised on Friday, August 7, 2020, at 0830 hours, is in partnership with the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), under the theme: “After the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP), What Next? The Way Forward for Ghanaian SMEs”.

This was contained in a statement from Vodafone Ghana, copied to the Ghana News Agency.

Speakers for the virtual SME webinar include, Madam Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, Executive Director of the NBSSI, Mrs Patricia Obo-Nai, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vodafone Ghana, Mr Dominic Kwame Adu, CEO of First National Bank and Francesca B. Opoku, CEO of Solutions Oasis Limited.

Madam Tawa Bolarin, Director of Enterprise Business Unit (EBU) at Vodafone Ghana, commenting on the initiative said: “Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) form the backbone of every country’s economic output. Their survival is very important to economic growth especially during this time when most businesses are beginning to recover from the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We believe in supporting businesses to grow even during crisis and we will continue to introduce pioneering solutions for businesses to get the needed support. We created this platform during this period to offer practical ideas from experts to help SMEs recover and sustain their growth. Beyond receiving a stimulus package, businesses need strategies and tools that will make them resilient and that is what we want to achieve with the Business Runway Webinar.”

Madam Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, Executive Director of the NBSSI, said: “We are excited to partner with Vodafone Business to further empower SMEs to build sustainable businesses. At NBSSI, our core mandate is to promote and develop Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, and Vodafone’s Business Runway offers us another opportunity to deliver these.
“Besides providing the necessary funding, we are also interested in creating an ideal environment that enables SMEs to contribute to the country’s economic gains.”

The free webinar will stream live on Vodafone’s social media platforms - @Vodafone Ghana on Facebook and Instagram and on Zoom, with ID 912 806 3388.

The Vodafone Business Runway Webinar is in collaboration with Ministry of Business Development, National Entrepreneur & Innovation Plan, Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), and Ghana Export Promotion Authority, the statement said.