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Nigerian entrepreneurs to receive mentorship through Microsoft Cloudpreneur

By BusinessNews Staff on March 27, 2015

In collaboration with Fate Foundation and Mara Mentor, Microsoft has launched the ‘Cloudpreneur Project’ in Nigeria, which will provide participants with entrepreneurship, Cloud and ICT training.

At the end of the project, the 20 best performing participants will receive mentorship to manage their own profitable businesses based on cloud technology.

Announcing the initiative, Managing Director of Microsoft Nigeria, Kabelo Makwane, said: “Microsoft is committed to improving youth skills for both entrepreneurship and employability across Africa. Our efforts in Nigeria started with the launch of the Employability Portal in 2013, which provides a platform for youth to learn leadership skills and network with other leaders. Now through the Cloudpreneur Project, we hope to enable and empower young business owners, so that they can contribute to the social and economic growth of Nigeria.”

The project will be open to 1000 applicants who have been in business for one to three years. About 100 successful participants will be selected through a screening process, and will receive a four-week long training on business management, including training on sales, technology, entrepreneurship, marketing, communication and start-ups management. Following this, 30 of these 100 participants will be provided with startup models and, finally, the top 20 performers will be mentored on how to build their own cloud-based business.

According to Makwane, “Cloud technology has the potential to transform competitiveness amongst startups and SMEs, which is why we’re encouraging adoption of the Cloud through this Project.”
“It delivers easier access to Information Technology (IT), slashes costs, improves productivity and enables more agile, innovative business models, where everything startups need can be accessed and done on the web anywhere, anytime and off any device,” he added.

Executive Director, Fate Foundation, Habiba Balogun, said: “Fate Foundation is delighted to partner and support Microsoft in its Cloudpreneur initiative which aims to empower entrepreneurs in the Tech-related business to not only improve and hone their skills and knowledge via an intensive training under the assured guidance of Microsoft but also to be equipped to run successful businesses and create employment via Fate Foundation’s proven Entrepreneurship Training.” Technological Innovation translated into economic activity is the future for Nigeria and we commend Microsoft for being part of enabling wealth creation in Nigeria,” Balogun added.

A similar initiative, known as the Cloud Start-up Academy, was launched by Microsoft, the Association of Women Entrepreneurs in Morocco (AFEM) and INWI in Morocco in June 2014. The Academy takes 50 Moroccan women through a six-month programme, where they receive accelerated training on the cloud to help them launch cloud-based solutions.

While the Academy is open only to women – particularly young graduates and job seekers, the Cloudpreneur Project is open to both male and female startups across Nigeria. Applications for the Cloudpreneur Project open on Friday 20th of March and will close on Sunday 19th of April 2015.

[ThisDay]

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