Paylink Partners Google to Train 15,000 MSMEs in Nigeria

In a bid to help Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and reposition them to take advantage of opportunities of a post-COVID future, Paylink, a payment and ecommerce solution for individuals, businesses and non-profits, has partnered with tech giant, Google.

The partnership is particularly geared towards empowering MSMEs with the digital expertise they require to thrive through the Paylink MSME Digital Bootcamp.

The organiser of the bootcamp, SystemSpecs, providers of Paylink, made this disclosure during the formal announcement of the expression of participation to MSMEs across Nigeria for the free seminar supported by Google.

Through a series of online trainings, MSMEs in Nigeria will be equipped with the relevant digital skills necessary to drive and scale their businesses in the digital era, recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as sustain their business on a long term.

As a developing country, MSMEs form the bedrock of enterprise and employment in Nigeria.

A statement by the Ministry of Trade and Investment says Nigeria’s over 37.07 million MSMEs account for more than 84 percent jobs in the country.

MSMEs also account for about 48.5 percent of the gross domestic product as well as about 7.27 percent of goods and services exported out of the country.

The Ministry of Trade and Investment further stated that micro-enterprises, which are the smallest businesses, account for the bulk of the MSMEs in Nigeria with 36,994,578 enterprises (about 99.8 per cent).

Commenting on the partnership, SystemSpecs’ Executive Director, Corporate Strategy, Deremi Atanda, said: “With more than 41 million MSMEs spread across the length and breadth of the country, it is clear that if these enterprises are empowered to attain their true potentials, they would significantly impact all strata of our economy and society at large.

“This is one of the reasons we have partnered with Google, a reputable organisation that deals with businesses across various segments of the Nigerian marketplace, to equip enterprises in the micro, small and medium-scale cadre with key requirements to thrive in a post-COVID economy.

“It is our conviction that MSMEs are an essential stakeholder group in the Nigerian project and we are committed to advancing their causes.”

Covering themes that include brand building, business growth and tools for business management and to hold on selected days in the months of March, April and May, 2021, the training leverages Google’s Digital Skills Africa programme for existing and prospective Paylink subscribers.

“COVID-19 forced many businesses to re-think their strategies and challenged long-standing entrepreneurial approaches. Among others, it brought forth the need to adopt a digital-first strategy in order to reach an extensive and largely unexplored market and ultimately grow bottom-line,” said Google Nigeria’s Country Director, Juliet Ehimuan.

“While a number of MSMEs are aware of this progressive direction, many are not. As with our other trainings, partnering with SystemSpecs to train current and prospective Paylink customers will go a long way in empowering more stakeholders in Nigeria’s MSMEs space,” Ehimuan added.

Paylink.NG is a secure and seamless solution that helps individuals, MSMEs, religious organisations, not-for-profits, social media sellers, crowd funders, event planners, freelancers and others, to receive payments through multiple means, by sharing a customised link.

To register for Paylink MSME Digital Bootcamp, click here.