Angela Mensah-Poku
The Director of Enterprise Business Unit and Wholesale at Vodafone Ghana, Angela Mensah-Poku, has encouraged Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) to be responsive to the changing dynamics of the country’s population and forge ahead to maintain their relevance.
She said, “With the country producing a critical mass of middle-income earners and the like, players and owners in the SME space must be prepared to adopt new and more dynamic ways of working.”
“Although some challenges, including inability to compete globally, lack of proper structures and even inadequate technological empowerment to succeed to hinder progress of SMEs, my advice will be for us to be prepared to open up and get involved,” Ms Mensah-Poku said.
The Vodafone director observed that often times, the average Ghanaian SME is fixated on managing a single business and not amenable to synergies.
She disclosed that it was appropriate to partner or team up with other companies to create bigger businesses and enhance economies of scale.
“It’s time to collaborate. Again, we must also be prepared to be patient and willing to invest in the business–let us feed it and give it attention,” Ms. Mensah-Poku indicated.
She disclosed this while speaking at the fifth edition of the SME Ghana Awards on the theme, “Sustaining Ghana’s SMEs in a Globally Competitive Market; Gaining Access to Larger Markets through Quality Product Standards and Attractive Packaging.”
Speaking at the event, the Vodafone Director said the partnership between the telecom company and the awards organizers for the past four years continue to deliver great dividend for both parties.
“We have become the nerve-center in this journey of equipping them with bespoke technological solutions whilst endowing them with skills and knowledge to become future multinationals and local corporate,” she indicated.
“We will continue to advocate for government not to renege on its commitment to keeping the SME space afloat at all times. It’s the backbone of the country,” she added.
Vodafone, as part of its support to the development of SMEs, announced the commencement of the CEIBS SME Masterclass on Friday, 5th October 2018.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri