As part of the Google Africa Hustle Academy, Google hosted graduation parties in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa for the 5,000 entrepreneurs who had finished the program. More than 70 recent graduates attended the event in Lagos, Nigeria.
About 10,000 applications were submitted for this year’s graduating class. Twenty-three groups, totaling 5,000 graduates, attended 5-day long virtual boot camps.
Participants gained knowledge on how to better define their company’s strategy, increase sales, and present their venture to investors during these intensive workshops. The program also included instructions on how to arrange one’s finances wisely and how to promote one’s business online.
Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, Google’s Head of Brand and Reputation for sub-Saharan Africa, recently gave an interview in which she discussed the company’s dedication to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). “Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are the backbone of the global economy, and in Africa, they account for an estimated 80% of jobs.” In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, there are an estimated 44 million micro, small, and medium enterprises, which function as important drivers of economic growth.
Each participant completed the program with one-on-one mentoring sessions with a network of experienced mentors and coaches to help them solve specific business challenges.
At the occasion, NITDA Director General Inuwa Kashifu Abdullahi discussed the importance of Nigeria’s digital transformation and the need for Nigerians to improve their digital skills so that they may make meaningful contributions to society and compete successfully in the global market.
Launched in February of this year, the Google Hustle Academy is focused on providing entrepreneurs with the practical business training they need to hone the “soft skills” that complement their natural abilities.
This is one of several initiatives by Google meant to aid micro, small, and medium-sized companies (MSMEs) throughout the African continent.
Since 2017, when Google first started providing digital skills training in Africa, there has been significant progress in the development of these talents, but small and medium businesses still desire more hands-on support.
The mission of the Hustle Academy is to equip small and medium-sized businesses with the resources they need to succeed and expand.
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