Otunba Wanle Akinboboye builds business-bridge to link Diaspora investors with local SMEs

It’s Week 5 in the 52 series tourism products. In this series, tourism icon, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye is out with another brand new Tourism Product of the Week.

“Our product this week Friday, 10th November, is ‘Business Bridge,’ said the Tourism Icon, up on the hill, at his luxury resort in Ondo state, La Campagne Tropicana Forest, Hills And Cave Resort.

“In the creation of Business Bridge, we are still making sure that the different tourism products we are creating, are interwoven and inter-related. We are also being mindful of our present economic situation in Africa, but particularly in Nigeria, viz a viz the value of the dollar.

“The idea for us is to transform our disadvantage into an advantage. The disadvantage is that, an African in Diaspora’s 10,000 dollars is equivalent to almost N10m naira today. We believe that can go a long way to help the SMEs. There are several businesses that can be created, or jump-started with that amount of money. That’s not much to an average Diasporan but because they do not know what to do in terms of investment in Nigeria. They do not have the expertise or know how to come and sit in Nigeria with a 10,000 dollars investnent because they are probably still at work or have their other businesses in America, Europe Asia etc.

“So we are creating Business Bridge to connect the resources, with expertise. I will give an example. We have 840 kilometres of beach front in Nigeria across six states. Majority of youths in these environment are skilled fishermen. And it takes very little for them to start a fishing business which entails getting a local fishing boat, fishing net, hooks, and other necessary needs to start a fishing business.

“But they do not have the resources. So what ‘Business Bridge’ will do is to get Nigerians in Diaspora to invest into the expertise of these young fishermen, and with that investment, a profitable business can will be jumpstarted.With a bank in the middle and business managers.

“We put the business online so the investors can monitor the business and know what is happening on a daily basis. Each boat is fitted with a solar camera, which allows the Diaspora investor to watch and monitor the business from anywhere he or she is around the world. The business manager is responsible for managing.40% goes to the investor, 40% goes to the fisherman and 20% goes to daily administration and also the payment of those extra people running the business.

“When that investor has experienced 300% returns on his investment, he will be advised to exit for the empowered fisherman to continue

“We see this as a great opportunity for people in Diaspora who are from the riverine areas, to empower their local folks in Nigeria.

“The beauty of this again, is that, this tourism product will jump-start the green economy associated with our approximately 840 kilometres of beach front. With this, young tourism entrepreneurs can benefit by applying as managers of these different businesses.

“It is our belief that this new Tourism product along with our first tourism product of the week which was Diaspora Nigeria Economic Recovery Programme (DNERP), will bring in much needed investment into Nigeria.

‘Business Bridge’ Ladies and gentlemen, is our product for the week. Otunba Wanle Akinboboye re-echoed.”