By Aduragbemi Omiyale
No fewer than 5,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs from across Africa will undergo free training at the Google Hustle Academy.
The participants, to be drawn from Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, will get training, one-on-one mentorship, access to industry leaders and keynote events.
According to the organisers, business owners will undergo five days of hands-on training and receive 3,000 hours of training on fundamental aspects of the business to help them navigate the challenges faced by SMEs in Africa.
The training curriculum includes strategic growth sessions including business growth strategy, building digital marketing roadmaps, discovering and evaluating funding routes and how to pitch for success among other topics.
Business Post reports that the Google Hustle Academy is a bootcamp-style training programme designed to help entrepreneurs and small businesses owners position their businesses for investment opportunities and build viable business models for the future.
The Hustle Academy is a practical educational initiative with interactive activities and instruction by subject matter experts. It also provides access to a global network of mentors and alumni.
The program is open to businesses that have been in operation for more than a year, have developed a business strategy and defined their product or service offering, and are aiming to grow. They must also have made a profit in the previous 12 months or be within 1-3 months of breaking even and interested and qualified businesses can apply to join the program at g.co/hustleacademy.
“The Google Hustle Academy Program is a laudable initiative that will help improve business prospects and also create the impact we desire at the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund.
“I recommend this program to business owners and SMEs, to improve results and growth in Lagos business ecosystem,” the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, Teju Abisoye, stated.
Also commenting, the Head of Brand and Reputation, Sub-Saharan Africa, Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, stated that, “SMEs are the engine that drives growth for any economy.
“In Africa, SMEs account for around 80 per cent of jobs and are a significant source of economic growth. In order to grow the economy and increase employment, it is crucial that small businesses have access to the right tools, training and funding to scale up.
“The Hustle Academy’s mission is to assist entrepreneurs to navigate the business challenges they face by providing them with the appropriate tools and knowledge.”
“Our hope is that through the Hustle Academy training this year, we will be able to assist 5,000 SMEs and entrepreneurs across Africa take their business to the next level and find ways to scale our efforts to help even more businesses going forward,” added Aderemi-Makinde.
Since 2017, Google has been providing digital skills training in Africa, and while there has been a measurable success in growing these skills, SMBs need more hands-on support. A core intent of the Hustle Academy is to support SMBs with the right skills, resources and access to thrive and grow.
Adedapo Adesanya 
Modupe Gbadeyanka