Small Businesses In Lagos Tasked To Leverage Digital Space For More Prosperous Ventures

By BENJAMIN OMOIKE

Chief Executive Officer of Jordan 105.5 FM in Lagos, Lanre Johnson, made this known at the sensitisation of E-Naira and Digital Economy for Small Businesses, organised by Jordan Radio, in Partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in Lagos, on Thursday.

According to Lanre Johnson, Jordan FM is collaborating with CBN to ensure that the E-Naira wallet gets to everywhere in the country.

He said ‘’we know the opportunities available within the platform, so our people particularly the merchant, we have over four to five associations here today, coupled with the market women and leaders, we must ensure that we take E-Naira to every merchant in Lagos, because we know the benefit of E-Naira, how it can advance their businesses, how it can turn things around for them, and they can become a global player in the market space, and how they can have other benefits like the five percent discount, and they can have the most secured platform for them to transact their businesses, and we can guarantee those who have participated today that they are here for a new dispensation where they can take their businesses to the next level.

“Most of the issues that are associated with how they receive payments, and how they send money with the issue of network and security, with other benefits like the interest-free and other opportunities that are going to be wired into the wallet, we are here to expose our merchant to it so that they can be the greater beneficiary of what we are doing.’’

The Jordan FM CEO said that ‘’as an entrepreneurship radio station, our job is to drive innovations and creativity, so we have a whole lot of programmes we already suggested to the CBN, and guess what? They are very open-minded and they are already working on it. The first programme we have introduced into the E-Naira wallet that is under construction and design right now is what is called Digital Transmission Adoptions for Businesses Scalability and Sustainability (DTABSS).

“It simply means how our small businesses can embrace the digital space and be able to sell their markets, and their products, with the aid of technology, starting from Google My Business (GMB), then taking it to SEO/SEM, taking it to Social Media Management and start with a basic Website, and to cap it all up, how they can use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to man their business big time and take it to the next level, so with this, our businesses will not only make sales, rather they will scale up, be sustainable and become competitive in the global space.”

“Apart from that, we are also encouraging multinationals to use the E-Naira wallet to give grants, disburse funds and be able to come out with different initiatives that will help our small businesses which as of now, have below seven percent of them are operating online, and guess what, the same sector contributes about eighty percent of the job employment market in Nigeria, so that is why we are coming out with a programme right now called Local Content Development to see how we can put them on entrepreneurship programme, so that whatever they need in terms of skills, in terms of partnership market linkages, we can make it available for our people in collaborations with our partners like CBN, the Embassies, and all other well-meaning institutions in Nigeria,” he said.

Lanre Johnson added that Jordan FM is committed to go to every nook and cranny in Lagos to ensure that all markets are incorporated and they all embrace E-Naira as a starting point for them to switch digitally and be able to play in the global arena.

Orah Chijioke from the Information Technology Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), said the event is to sensitise market women and artisans on the need to go digital with the E-Naira in transacting in their daily businesses.

While allaying the fears of people on the security of the E-Naira platform, Chijioke said that the App is secured, is fast, and it is a direct liability from CBN, and there are a lot of benefits of using the platform apart from the fact that transactions on it are free.

Also, Iyaloja of Orisunbare Mile 12 market, Yeye Precious Modupe Ojo, said that the idea from CBN is a very welcome one, and it is going to benefit and become favorable to the market women since the world is going digital.

President of Shoe Makers Associations in Lagos, Mr Yisiru Bello while commending Jordan Radio said it is a great initiative from the apex bank while promising that ninety to ninety-five percent of their members in Lagos will key into the E-Naira platform.

He added that government should recognise associations and deal with them directly rather than coming through consultants, saying that, the government is losing a whole lot of revenue, as they are ready to pay their tax if the proper channel and process are being put in place.