Creating Enabling Policies for Small Businesses: Lessons from Africa
While large companies typically have teams focused on advocacy and government lobbying to ensure their interests are advanced and protected, most small businesses do not have the resources to do the same.
This session features two experts from Kenya and Nigeria, Adron Naggayi Nalinya and Toki Mabogunje, who will share their experiences in building the skills of entrepreneurs and supportive infrastructure to shape micro and macro-economic and financial, and sector-specific聽policies that positively influence their ecosystem.聽聽
It will also provide practical insights into steps for amplifying the voices and protecting the interests of small businesses in hostile business environments.聽
>>
Speakers:
Adron Naggayi聽Nalinya
Adron is a non-resident International Legal Specialist with the New Markets Lab based in Uganda. Her prior legal experience includes intellectual property, environment, energy, human rights, and health. Her work at NML is focused on聽a number of聽aspects of international law and development, including agricultural law and regulation, land tenure, financial services, and legal issues impacting emerging businesses. She is聽an聽Ugandan lawyer who holds a Master's in Law (LLM) degree from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.聽
罢辞办颈听惭补产辞驳耻苍箩别
罢辞办颈听惭补产辞驳耻苍箩别聽is a Nigerian lawyer, broadcaster,聽poet聽and business consultant. She is the 3rd female president of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI),聽and the founder 罢辞办颈听惭补产辞驳耻苍箩别聽& Co. Toki is a member of the governing council,聽the World Chamber of Federation. She is a law graduate from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife. She earned her LLM in International Business Law from the University of Exeter, England.聽Mabogunje聽was honored in 2014 as the Personality of the year for World Theater Day and Cultural Ambassador by NANTAP.聽
Moderator:
Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli
Mrs. Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli is an expert on social innovation, African agriculture and nutrition, entrepreneurship, and youth development. She has over 25 years of international development experience and is a recognized serial entrepreneur, author, public speaker, and consultant. She is the Max Bell School of Public Policy's McConnell Visiting Scholar for 2021-2022.
Mrs. Nwuneli started her career as a management consultant with , working in Chicago, New York, and Johannesburg. She returned to Nigeria in 2000 to serve as the pioneer executive director of , supporting young entrepreneurs to start and scale their businesses. In 2002, she established to inspire, empower, and equip a new cadre of principled, disciplined, and dynamic young leaders in Africa. In the same year, she established NIA to support female university students in Nigeria to achieve their highest potential.
Over the past 13 years, she has focused exclusively on transforming the African agriculture and nutrition landscape. Through her work as the co-founder and Managing Partner of , she has partnered with a range of private and public sector organizations to implement ecosystem solutions in the African agriculture and food landscapes. As the co-founder of , which produces a range of packaged spices, seasonings, and cereals for local and international markets, Mrs. Nwuneli has propelled the growth of a catalytic business. As the founder of , a digital home for food and agriculture entrepreneurs operating on the African Continent, she is accelerating the growth of the ecosystem and supporting entrepreneurs in 35 African countries. Her latest start-up鈥斺攊s building bridges by showcasing the Continent鈥檚 contributions to the global food ecosystem and scaling proudly African food and beverage brands.
Nwuneli serves on the boards of the , the , , , , , , Netherlands, and the. She previously served on the Boards of ., the .
Nwuneli was recognized as a Young Global Leader and a Schwab Social Innovator by the World Economic Forum and received a National Honor from the Nigerian Government. She was listed as one of the 20 Power African Women by Forbes, on the 2019 100 Most Influential Africans List by New African Magazine and was a Harvard Business School 2021 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award Honoree. She is a TED Global speaker.
Nwuneli is the author of "Social Innovation in Africa: A Practical Guide for Scaling Impact," and "Food Entrepreneurs in Africa: Scaling Resilient Agriculture Businesses," both published by Routledge. She is also the author of 鈥淲orking for God in the Marketplace.鈥
She holds an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree with honors from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She was a Senior Fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business & Government at the Harvard Kennedy School and an Aspen Institute New Voices Fellow.