Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises, MSMEs have continued to demonstrate remarkable resilience and adaptability, in facilitating economic growth and development across borders in spite of economic downturns and global crises.

Driven by the increased need to improve access to financial services to power sustained and inclusive progress, Africa’s fastest growing financial institution according to the Financial Times, Moniepoint MFB has reiterated its commitment to providing peerless and holistic support for, MSMEs in order to boost their capacity to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, while promoting innovation, creativity, and sustainable business practices across the country.

According to the United Nations, MSMEs account for over 90% of businesses and 60-70% of employment worldwide. These enterprises make up 50% of global GDP. They contribute to the global economy and sustain livelihoods, particularly among the working poor, youth, women, and workers in vulnerable situations.

It would be recalled that following a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly in April 2017, 27th of June was designated as “Micro-, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises Day” to raise awareness of the tremendous contributions of MSMEs to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Speaking on the commemoration of this year’s World MSME Day, Managing Director, Moniepoint MFB, Babatunde Olofin noted that MSMEs can lead the charge toward a sustainable and prosperous future with the proper support from governments, financial institutions, and consumers at large while explaining that enablers like Moniepoint is willing to partner with all stakeholders to can create an environment that supports MSMEs in their efforts to invest, trade, and thrive in local and global markets, harnessing the attendant developmental benefits.

“We recognize that MSMEs are the lifeblood of the Nigerian economy. Millions of people depend on them every day for food, daily necessities, and sustenance. For businesses across Nigeria, we have just one promise – we’re always going to be here to make you happy.

“As we celebrate this year’s World MSME Day, we must all acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and perseverance of MSMEs and the driving the charge to not only bolster economic stability but also foster sustainable development, helping to eradicate poverty and improve quality of life for Nigerians,” Olofin said.

He continued, “on a day like this, we must renew our commitment to join hands – agencies of government, private sector operators, and all stakeholders – to continue supporting MSMEs through policies, funding, and capacity-building initiatives.

“By empowering MSMEs, we pave the way for a more sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous future for all, especially the coming generations.”

Moniepoint MFB has been widely recognized for its innovative efforts at giving small businesses access to digital financial services, including the ability to accept payments, access working capital loans and manage their finances, that helps them to increase productivity, serve customers better, and ultimately to grow.

In a bid to look out and champion the survival of small business even as the world celebrates MSMES, the financial services powerhouse recently provided incentives to some business owners across Nigeria to ensure the lights are kept on. Gift vouchers ranging from 3 months’ worth of inventory restock for a general retail services provider to two months’ worth of sewing material to a tailor even as a food & drinks supplier received a fuel voucher in order to solve his logistics needs amongst other recipients.

The beneficiaries who expressed their gratitude to Moniepoint noted that the gesture would go a long way to boost their productivity and ensure that they can better serve their local communities.

As the sector closest to local communities, MSMEs are essential for creating local jobs, empowering women, youth, persons with disabilities and other groups in vulnerable situations. Commemorating MSME Day is a recognition that this vital sector, who are these agents of innovation, growth, and sustainability, at the heart of our societies has tremendous potential to unlock critical pathways to accelerate SDG progress across the globe.

TD Africa, the leading distributor of tech products in Africa, is excited to announce its strategic partnership with ZTE Corporation, a prominent global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions with a global footprint covering over 160 countries.

This collaboration marks a significant milestone as ZTE introduces its latest mobile range to the Nigerian market, catering to the diverse needs of tech-savvy consumers in Nigeria.

TD Africa stands as a powerhouse in the technology distribution landscape, proudly representing 30 global brands, including industry giants such as Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Dell Technologies, HP, and more.

TD Africa’s formidable presence and unrivalled expertise have recently earned them the prestigious role of the first authorized African distributor for Starlink, marking a significant milestone in their journey of empowering technology across the continent.

The groundbreaking launch event, scheduled for Friday, 28th June 2024, will showcase an impressive lineup of ZTE’s latest mobile devices, including the ZTE V60 Design, Nubia Neo2, and Nubia Focus Pro, among others.

These devices are designed to cater to a wide range of needs for Nigerian users, offering exceptional performance, sleek designs, and cutting-edge technology.

The ZTE V60 Design, in particular, is anticipated to revolutionize the smartphone market with its state-of-the-art features and user-friendly interface.

ZTE is recognized for its commitment to research and development (R&D), investing a significant portion of its revenue into R&D activities annually. The company operates numerous R&D centres across the world and holds thousands of patents in various technological domains. ZTE’s innovations span across 5G technology, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Below is a peek into the features of some of the products to be launched:

ZTE V60 Design: For those seeking a perfect blend of style and performance, the stunning ZTE V60 Design is a must-have. Its sleek aesthetics and powerful features make it the ideal choice for modern users.

Nubia Neo2: Gamers will rejoice with the Nubia Neo2, a device engineered to provide an unparalleled gaming experience. With its lifelike graphics and high-speed performance, every gaming session will be a thrill.

Nubia Focus Pro: Capture your special moments with the Nubia Focus Pro. Equipped with advanced camera technology and 5G speed, this smartphone ensures you can instantly download and endlessly stream your favourite content.

This launch is a testament to TD Africa’s commitment to expanding the frontiers of mobile and technology accessibility, affordability, and usability in the Nigerian market. It also reflects ZTE’s confidence in the rich history that sums up TD Africa’s heritage of excellence and dominance in the distribution landscape in Nigeria and across Africa.

Chioma Chimere, Coordinating Managing Director of TD Africa mentioned; “This partnership between TD Africa and ZTE marks a new era in the mobile landscape of Africa.

“By leveraging TD Africa’s extensive distribution network and ZTE’s innovative technology, we are set to redefine the dynamics of the mobile industry, bringing unparalleled value and choice to our customers.”

TD Africa, renowned for its extensive distribution network and expertise in the tech industry, will exclusively handle the distribution of ZTE devices in Nigeria.

As a foremost distributor of technology products in Africa, TD Africa will bring extensive market knowledge and distribution capabilities to the partnership.

This partnership ensures that consumers can easily access these innovative products both online and at retail stores across the country.
Contact Information

For more information about the ZTE mobile range and this exciting launch, please contact:
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 09040710090

You can also watch the launch live here: https://youtube.com/live/AiVOjxfreJA?feature=share

Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has urged for an end to the activities of multiple agencies hurting their businesses, urging the government to fix the overlaps by harmonizing regulatory compliance.

Member companies of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Ikeja Branch, in a meeting of CEOs and MDs on Thursday, presented their demands for harmonisation to the federal and state governments.

The manufacturers dialogued with the Lagos State Government through directors representing the state government’s Ministers of Commerce and Industry, and Environment and Water Resources.

In his keynote speech, the CEO of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr Muda Yusuf, said one of the biggest risks that businesses have to cope with in the Nigerian economy is regulatory risk that comes in the form of overlapping regulatory agencies.

He said, “Regulatory risk could manifest in the form of overlapping regulatory regimes, too many regulations, sporadic and frequent regulatory changes, poor interpretations of regulations and the absence of dispute resolution mechanisms between businesses and the regulators.”

Yusuf stated that instances of overlaps exist in the regulatory functions of quality and standards, environmental issues, transportation and logistics, taxation, and international trade.

He said the agencies with an overlap of quality and standards functions include the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, the National Agency of Food Drug Administration and Control, Plant Quarantine, Weights and Measures and the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

He decried some agencies that he claimed forced business owners to pay for flight tickets for their agents to visit foreign suppliers whose goods are imported into Nigeria for certification.

“Some of them (agencies) practically have the power of life and death over investors. Which is why engagement with the regulators is often very challenging. Some of them can be very overbearing, intimidating investors and sometimes extorting them,” the CPPE boss said.

Yusuf said the overlap in environmental issues is found among agencies, including the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency and other subnational equivalents, the Ministry of Environment at the federal and state levels.

Others are the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, Lagos Waste Management Authority, and Local Government Environmental Unit.

Further, Yusuf said overlap of functions happens in logistics and transportation, through agencies such as the Vehicle Inspection Office, Police, Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and other state traffic management agencies; Local Government Traffic officials and Task Force.

For tax administration, Yusuf said there was an overlap between the Presidential Committee on Fiscal and Tax Reforms and the other major institutions in the tax environment, including the Federal Inland Revenue Service, State Internal Revenue Service, Nigeria Customs Service and Local Government Tax Units,

The CPPE CEO said the Presidential Committee on Fiscal and Tax Reforms was mandated to prune down the number of taxes to less than ten, as there are 40 different kinds of taxes and levies exacted from Nigerians currently.