By Ebele Orakpo

From December 2 to 3, 2015, SME and Franchising Nigeria Exhibition and Congress, organised by Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions, Africa’s first and largest business-to-business platform with a focus on SME and Franchising, will take place at the at the Eko International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Lagos.

According to a release made available to Financial Vanguard, SME and Franchising Nigeria is supported by governmental bodies such as Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP Nigerian International Franchise Association  (NIFA) and National Association of Small and Medium Scale Enterprise (NASME). “It provides a unique platform for Nigeria’s entire SME and franchising value chain to meet under one roof.”

“We are pleased to be launching this initiative and tapping further into Nigeria’s rich and growing economy. It is important to be on the forefront of its development and this event seeks to provide numerous opportunities for SMEs and Franchises to further expand their presence and grow. The event offers an unrivalled opportunity to meet and network with potential partners, suppliers, customers and investors,” said the Managing Director of Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions, Simon Page.

The event is expected to attract over 1000 entrepreneurs, decision-makers and business leaders from local, regional and international companies who will showcase their products and services at the two-day event. Industry giants such as IBM, Microsoft Nigeria Ltd, First City Monument Bank, WSI Axon, Business Day, Connect Nigeria, GTBank and many more are expected.

“The conference programmes will feature keynote presentations, real-life case studies and interactive discussions. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from key industry experts, who will share their expertise and experiences on how to start their own businesses in Nigeria as well as updates on Nigeria’s franchise outlook, growth opportunities, government input and risk management. They will also help them identify franchise opportunities and provide an analysis of which direction the industry is headed in,” said the release.