Daily Independent Online.
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Thursday, July 01, 2004.
SME: Firm benefits from NEPAD initiative
By Mojeed Jamiu
Finance Editor, Lagos
A Nigerian firm, Benulek Limited, has won the rights
to solely market the products of a South African company, Zhauns Group of
Companies, under the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) initiative
in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroun, Benin and Togo.
The equipment, according to the Managing Partner of
Benulek Limited, Mr. Benneth Ekpu, is for use under the Small and Medium Enterprises
(SME) scheme.
Ekpu, in a statement on Tuesday, said the foundation
for the company’s contact with the South African firm was laid during the
first pro-NEPAD pan-African Investment Forum, held in Nigeria between April 22
and 24, 2002. He said the forum, with the theme, “Advancing African
Development, New Partnership Between Business and Government,” provided
the over 400 participants the opportunity of exchanging business ideas and
seeking areas of cooperation.
Another step towards actualising the goals of NEPAD,
according to Ekpu, was taken when South Africa organised an investment forum.
Ekpu said it was at this forum that the business ties
with Zhaun was further cemented, leading to the signing of the agreement last
week. Ekpu and the Chief Executive of Zhauns, Zhaun Amid-Ahmed, signed the
agreement. Zhauns, established in 1970, recently won an award as one of the top
300 companies in the manufacture of money-making machines in South Africa,
United Kingdom, South America, Germany and the United States.
According to Ekpu, Zhauns, which offers one-year
warranty on all its SME equipment, will also assist with the installation and
training of technicians.
The company also encourages banks to finance such SME
so as to ensure that those who could not raise the needed funds for such
equipment could benefit from the scheme.
Ekpu urged Nigerians to aspire to become
self-employed, stressing that nobody works for a boss and becomes a
millionaire. “Rather, you need to be your own boss to make it big.”
