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 as they forge ahead in maintaining their relevance in the eco-system.
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.”
Admittedly, she said “although some challenges including inability to compete globally, lack of proper structures and even inadequate technological empowerment to succeed may hinder progress of SMEs, my advice will be for us to be prepared to open up and get involved”.
The Vodafone director observed that often times, the average Ghanaian SME is fixated on managing a single business and not amenable to synergies but she noted that it was perfectly okay to partner or team up with other companies to create bigger businesses and enhance economies of scale.
“It is 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 was speaking at the fifth edition of the SME Ghana Awards themed: “Sustaining Ghana’s SMEs in a Globally Competitive Market; Gaining Access to Larger Markets through Quality Product Standards and Attractive Packaging.”
Commenting on the event, the Vodafone director said the partnership between the telecom company and the awards organizers for the past four years continues to deliver great dividend for both parties.
“We have become the nerve-centre in this journey of equipping them with bespoke technological solutions whilst endowing them with skills and knowledge to become future multinationals . . .,” she indicated, adding “we will continue to advocate government not to renege on its commitment to keep the SME space afloat at all times. It is the backbone of the country”.
As part of its support to SMEs development, Vodafone announced the commencement of the CEIBS SME Master Class on Friday 5th October 2018.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri