Telecomms service provider, Airtel Nigeria, and the Rivers state government are collaborating to nurture budding entrepreneurs for sustainable economic growth of the Niger Delta region.
The company and the Rivers State Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the State Chambers of Commerce are also planning a capacity enhancement session to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit among youths within the Niger Delta region.
The programme is tagged 'Port Harcourt Entrepreneurial Forum' and is scheduled to start by July 10.
The Port Harcourt Entrepreneurial Forum, which is also aimed at creating platforms for networking, synergy and advocacy for best practices among emerging entrepreneurs in the region, is expected to attract business leaders and motivational speakers.
Personalities expected include the Chief Executive Officer, Visible Impact, Mr. Fela Durotoye; a seasoned administrator and entrepreneur, Mrs. Seinye O. B. Lulu-Briggs; and the Rivers State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Emeka Unachukwu, among others.
Speaking on the programme, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, said Airtel was delighted to play the role of a catalyst in nurturing the entrepreneurial aspirations of the youths in the Niger Delta and contribute to the creation of wealth in the region.
He assured that the company would always throw its weight behind initiatives discovering aimed at the talent and innate abilities of the Nigerian youths and lead them to self-actualisation and overall economic prosperity.
Ogunsanya said, "We shall continue to be innovative in our offerings and strategic in building capacity to ensure both our existing and potential customers enjoy the best telecoms service experience that human ingenuity can offer.
"Our support for the Port Harcourt Entrepreneurial Forum is another way of encouraging our youth to be innovative and embrace entrepreneurship which is the engine room of any prosperous economy. But it is also one more reason why Nigerians should port to Airtel."
According to the organisers of the forum, VTB Business Support Services, the programme is geared towards meeting the needs of those working in private and public sectors, who wish to benefit from the positive experiences or even the "learned from" mistakes of successful business leaders.
Networking sessions at the event include 'Building a Sustainable Business Brand', 'Accessing Finance for Expansion in Today's Economy' and 'Systems, Strategies and Structures – Creating Models for Business Growth, among others.
