![(L-R) BAT IT Business Unit IT Manager Edgar Okioga, SEACOM Business Sales Lead Patrick Ndegwa and KAM CEO Phylis Wakiaga. They say ICT will help Kenya achieve its 2022 GDP growth ambition with cutting-edge digital tools playing a key role to advance manufacturing, job creation and economic development. [Photo/SEACOM]](https://www.exchange.co.tz/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/L-R-BAT-IT-Business-Unit-IT-Manager-Edgar-Okioga-SEACOM-Business-Sales-Lead-Patrick-Ndegwa-and-KAM-CEO-Phylis-Wakiaga-360x180.jpg)
NAIROBI,KENYA, SEPTEMBER 26 — Invest in Africa (IIA-Kenya) in partnership with the African Management Initiative (AMI) has launched an online learning academy to help SMEs on the African Partner Pool (APP) gain expertise to scale and grow their businesses.
During the one year program, SMEs will have access to the library of courses, practical tools and social features.
They will also be guided through key steps of developing their businesses, understanding market demand, their customers, cost-effective product; developing, testing and refining their business model and how to get funding for the business.
Speaking in Nairobi on Wednesday during the launch, IIA Country Manager, Wangechi Muriuki said:“ Its a great day for SMEs in general as we officially launch the academy. We believe that the training courses and tools offered by AMI will be integral to SME development in Kenya. This is because from our research, we found out that access to skills and training is as important as access to finance and markets.”
Her sentiments were echoed by those of AMI CEO and founder, Rebbeca Harrison who spoke of the impact that AMI is creating, by ensuring that organizations across Africa build motivated, productive and effective businesses.
“This partnership will see us provide relevant skills training to SMEs on Invest in Africa’s platform. This will add onto the over 25,000 people across Africa that we have already reached,” she said.
To access the platform, SMEs will have to self-register on the site and use a pre-determined code custom made for the IIA SME community.
They can then access the Learning Academy page at https://appkenya.com/@learning-academy and click on Sign Up for Learning Academy button.
The courses are designed and offered in partnership with some of the biggest business schools in Africa.
These include Strathmore Business School, Lagos Business School and the Gordon Institute of Business Science.
The academy has been made easily accessible for entrepreneurs even if they have limited access to the internet. It is focused on simple downloadable tools, a low-bandwidth online platform which is easily accessible on mobile phones, in-person sessions and the opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs.
The latest developments add to Invest In Africa’s efforts to enhance SME access to skills, markets and finance.
IIA has partnered with leading organizations in Kenya to drive job creation and enterprise development in the economy.
Together with its Partners, IIA has built a unique, world-class online technology platform – The African Partner Pool (APP) that currently has a cross-sector database of over of over 1,700 vetted SMEs from Kenya.
The platform directly connects SMEs with larger organizations sourcing for goods and services locally and also offers capacity building to enable address existing skill and knowledge gaps.
IIA Partners with Tullow Oil, Equity Bank, EY, Clyde & Co, Ecobank, Safaricom, Shell, Nation Media Group, AMSCO, Strathmore Business School, Keninvest, Africa Management Initiative and the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) among others.
The African Management Initiative on the other hand is pioneering a new approach to business and management training for Africa.
AMI partners with organizations to equip entrepreneurs with key business skills and also have work-readiness programmes for young job seekers.
