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By Juliet Umeh

A digital marketing firm, Alternative Advert, has said  inability of micro, small and medium enterprises, MSMEs, to utilize alternative innovative channels that could provide easy access to information, tools and funds for their businesses is the reason their businesses are not thriving. They also pointed that this challenge is predominant among businesses owned by women.

In a bid to find lasting solution to the problem, the firm said it is set to hold a programme called SME Fast Track 2018.

Unveiling the initiative which kicks off  today, in Lagos, the CEO of Alternative Adverts, Mr. Emmanuel Nwafor, said the programme is deliberately themed: ‘Women in Business: Challenges and Opportunities’. The event holds at D’podium International Convention Center, Ikeja, Lagos.

According to Nwafor, the event is expected to empower about 5000 women and girls expected to attend. He said the women will be equipped with information, tools and funds to be able to thrive in their businesses.

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Nwafor said: “It is packaged exclusively for women, and focused on meeting Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, that are women centred.

“There is an increasing urgency for business to incorporate women’s empowerment considerations into corporate strategies, both to ensure sustainable growth and to demonstrate leadership through values.

“As part of this global effort, we believe SMEs play a key role by way of creating new opportunities and frontiers to foster women’s economic empowerment and inclusion.”

Also speaking, the company’s Admin/Finance Director, Veginus Ojiaku, said they want to look at area of internet, teaching these women how to use social media to grow their businesses.

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Ojiaku said:  “We want to ensure those businesses are well run in the environment we find ourselves and we will be telling them how to source for fund from Micro Finance banks.

“We are going to link them up with banks for them to get the funds.

but we are creating an avenue for them to get the fund through the bank,” he said.