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Nairobi Hosts SACOMA World Entrepreneurship Summit:
’Rebuilding through creativity, innovation & entrepreneurship’
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| Click here for the summit's brochure |
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| This successful inaugural event took place against the backdrop of significant economic loss and helped in significantly re-energising belief in local small and medium enterprises |
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Nairobi 26th & 27th May 2008: The World Entrepreneurship Summit was for the first time held in Nairobi as part of a wider initiative to stimulate growth within the local small and medium sector. The Summit brought together about 370 thought and business leaders, academicians, entrepreneurs, policy makers, investors, innovators and business support agencies in the public and private sector from over 35 countries from all over the world. Tangible action points for providing necessary synergies to spur growth of businesses locally and internationally were achieved supported by all stakeholders including the government, private sector, donors, international parties, policy makers and entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs were able to connect and transact business, partnerships were developed, and initiatives to access growth capital and alternative sources of finance through Venture Capital and Business Angels was realised.
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The event was graced by a complement of international and local speakers. His Excellency Mr. Adam Wood, British High Commissioner Kenya and Hon Kenneth Magara, Assistant Minister for Trade officially inaugurated the summit on behalf of His Excellency, Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Trade.
His Excellency Mr Adam Wood Hon. Kenneth Magara
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Speaking during the Summit, His Excellency Mr. Adam Wood said; ‘The UK government continues to support economic growth to Kenya and the summit provides a unique opportunity for Kenyan small and medium entrepreneurs to trade internationally and acknowledged the essential role the business community plays in restoring and growing the economy’.
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Hon Kenneth Magara said ‘The Kenya Government supports the small and medium entrepreneurs’. ‘Productive entrepreneurship is crucial in employment creation, poverty reduction and growth of economies. Entrepreneurial activities drive the efficient resource utilization and accelerate the process of generating, diffusing and applying innovative ideas and concepts. Indeed, it is entrepreneurs in the SMEs and other private enterprises that are the engines of economic growth. We in the Ministry of Trade recognize that Kenya’s private sector accounts for approximately 80% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provides more than half of the wage employment.
The SMEs sector alone contributes 18.4% to Kenya’s GDP and cuts across all sectors of the economy providing one of the most prolific sources of employment creation and income generation for poverty reduction. This sector not only creates demand and supply for goods and services, but also offers excellent opportunity for maturity of entrepreneurial talent. For this reason, the Government of Kenya has relentlessly committed itself to creating a conducive business environment for the growth and competitiveness of the private sector through policies and programmes that address their constraints. As is evident from the recent initiatives undertaken by the Government that include the National Youth Fund, Women Enterprise Fund and the Constituency Development Fund, it is clear that our priority is facilitation of the citizenry in business.’
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Chris Mwebesa, NSE Chris Houghton, EnVestors Khalid Sheikh. Clifton Packaging
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Andrea Pizzicconi, Prof. Tom Ogada, KIRDI Dr Rebecca Harding,
The Christie Company Delta Economics
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Other High profile speakers included Dr. Rebecca Harding, Founder & Managing Director, WES and Delta Economics, Mabel Marks, Director and founder, Kimberly Housing Group, UK; Louis Otieno, GM Microsoft, East Africa, Chris Mwebesa, C.E.O Nairobi Stock Exchange, Kenya; Ayodeji Adewunmi ,Curator- Top30Under30, Susan Kikwai, Managing Director, Kenya Investment Authority; Prof. Tom Ogada, Managing Director, KIRDI; Perez Ochieng, CEO, SACOMA Group UK; Khalid Sheikh, Chairman, Clifton Packaging Group plc UK; Norah Odwesso, Public Affairs & Communications Director, Coca-cola East & Central Africa Limited, Benjamin Nkungi, CEO Association of Microfinance Institutions; Andrea Pizziconi, The Christie Company; Scott Haughton, EnVestors Private Investor Club; Dr Julia Ojiambo; and Dr. Ongong’a Achieng, Managing Director, Kenya Tourist Board.
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Mrs Susan Kikwai added that The Kenya Government has provided the infrastructure necessary to promote investment. Mrs Norah Odwesso of Coca –cola the main sponsors of the summit provided the open framework that Coca-cola provides to entrepreneurs within its 95% bracket of its profitable business.
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Sam Ochieng, Almasi Jiwani, Ann Fazakerly
Director Sacoma Frontier Canada Inc Octagon Europe Ltd.
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We would like to thank our WES speakers who travelled from far and made it to be with us, in Kenya. Thank you for the involvement of our key stakeholders KIA, Ministry of Trade, Nairobi Stock Exchange and the delegates from Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Ghana, South Africa, and Barbados. We would also like to extend our thanks to our public relations company, Oglivy, and to our sponsors and supporters; Coca Cola, NSE, and the SACOMA staff both in the UK and Kenya.
We all made the first SACOMA/WES a wonderful event. As we all know, WES is not a talking shop. Our focus is to stimulate action as was preferred during the event which was inspirational and creative. So much has been written and spoken about the summit, as you can see in some articles in the newspapers, with participants coming away from the event feeling that they have connected with other people.
We are all looking forward to welcoming you next year on May 26th and 27 in Nairobi for the WES 2009. Let us all embrace innovation, imagination and creativity.
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Perez Ochieng
CEO SACOMA
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Some of the world’s leading practitioners key issues are;
· The next step and.
· The partnerships that have been created and the pledges for action.
The summit has definitely created an environment that allows enterprising behaviour to the forum. It is important that entrepreneurs believe in themselves and strive to make their ideas happen. At Sacoma Centre for enterprise, our role is to give the encouragement, information, advice, guidance and support. The drive to nurture enterprising behaviour needs business education, voluntary organisation and media to move together. Moreover, we need to have ideas and make them happen, marked by independent energetic spirit and by readiness to act. Above all we hope the summit has encouraged opportunity recognition, creativity, problem solving, marketing, resources and passion for ideas.
SACOMA is providing entrepreneurship services in the UK and sub-Saharan Africa to create an environment enabling sustainable economic development for small and medium entrepreneurs on a global platform.
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Following the Summit we have developed several initiatives to help SME’s to significantly grow.
We have:
· A business Accelerator, Fast track Fast Growth Programme
· Coaching and Mentoring
· Venture capital Fund
· Leadership and Succession Planning Programme
· In October 20-24 2008, SACOMA will be hosting a Trade Mission for Kenyan Entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom.
· In November 17-23 2008, SACOMA has secured the mandate to coordinate the Global Entrepreneurship Week in Kenya as the official country representative. The global theme for 2008 is ‘unleashing ideas’.
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| For more details about this past event, the speakers' presentations & feedback, photos of the event, please follow the links below. |
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WES08 SPEAKERS'
PRESENTATIONS & FEEDBACK CLICK HERE
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WES08 PHOTO GALLERY CLICK HERE |
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For further information to register/sponsor please contact us:
UK Office
Tel: +44 (20) 8554 9444 / + 44 7847311031(m)
Kenya Office
Tel: +254 (20) 4343991 / + 254 725 098 066 (m)
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