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Entrepreneurs harp on financial resources, better services for Africa
 
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Fri, 24 Jul 2015   ||   Nigeria,
 

Sequel to the imminent visit of the United State of America (USA) President, Barack Obama to Kenya, for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, survey released by the U.S. State Department, GeoPoll and the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) revealed that entrepreneurs across Africa harped on financial resources, better facilities and services for Africa.

The survey targeted about 1,000 entrepreneurs across five countries in Africa; Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria and was centered on what resources are most needed to encourage entrepreneurship, programs they had participated in to improve their businesses, and the biggest challenges facing new businesses.

They were also asked about programs or activities they had participated in that helped improve their businesses, with many citing business seminars, ICT training, and trade-specific workshops they had attended.

The survey revealed that about 40 per cent of respondents participated in a program or activity in the past year, aimed at improving their businesses. Respondents were however divided on a question raised about what would increase the number of entrepreneurs in their country. 36 per cent highlighted more financial resources as the solution, 24 per cent were of the opinion that better facilities and services would be ideal and another 23 per cent pointed at support from government.

Furthermore, in sampling opinions of the respondents on increasing youth and women entrepreneurship, which is part of the focus in the summit, 41 per cent cited funding as the resource most needed to help youth and women entrepreneurs. 22 per cent felt government support is germane, another 18 per cent responded that access to market information was important and 16 per cent thought access to high-skilled workers is the way out.

The findings in the poll are expected to be used at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, to highlight common needs of entrepreneurs across Africa and the world.

The president of GEN, Jonathan Ortmans, expressed that “As policymakers explore smart and sophisticated steps to develop healthy entrepreneurial ecosystems across the African continent, the voice of the entrepreneur must remain in the foreground, being able to hear directly from the entrepreneurs helps guide our conversations at the summit and beyond."

 

 

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