Seven-Up Bottling Company, in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Zenith Bank, has organized a two-day bootcamp aimed at empowering Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. Themed ‘Dream Big, Scale Bigger,’ the workshop brought together around 80 CEOs of fast-rising SMEs to provide insights into scaling businesses within the Nigerian ecosystem.
Ziad Maalouf, the Managing Director of Seven-Up Bottling Company, highlighted the significant contributions of SMEs to Nigeria’s GDP. He expressed appreciation for the entrepreneurial spirit in Nigeria and emphasized that the boot camp was designed to empower more entrepreneurs to scale up their businesses.
Maalouf, who is also the chairman of the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance, outlined ten prerequisites for scaling SMEs, including factors such as having a big idea, passion, financial management, value, teamwork, business acumen, purpose, network, artificial intelligence integration, and seeking business transformation advice.
Lanre Oladimeji, Deputy General Manager/Head of Retail Banking at Zenith Bank, advised business owners to have a thorough understanding of loan products before opting for them. He emphasized the importance of knowing loan details such as type, payment patterns, cost of borrowing, and payment periods, along with assessing the business impact of the loan.
Oluyomi Banjo, the National Director of UNIDO, commended Seven-Up Bottling Company for organizing the workshop and stressed the need for Nigeria to embrace and encourage sustainable innovation by investing in SME growth. Banjo emphasized UNIDO’s commitment to advancing Sustainable Development Goal Number 9, focusing on industry, innovation, and infrastructure in Nigeria through initiatives like the Global Cleantech Innovation Program.
The bootcamp aimed to equip SME CEOs with valuable insights and strategies for scaling their businesses, contributing to economic growth and sustainability. The collaborative effort by Seven-Up Bottling Company, UNIDO, and Zenith Bank reflects a commitment to supporting the development and expansion of SMEs in Nigeria.
