5,000 Business Owners in Nigeria, Others Graduate from Google Hustle Academy

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Not less than 5,000 business owners drawn from Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa have completed a training programme from Google Hustle Academy.

The Hustle Academy, launched in February, provides practical business training which helps entrepreneurs learn the soft skills that complement their hard talents through peer-to-peer and mentor-driven learning.

At the graduation ceremonies in the three countries, Google announced a new speaker series in which successful African entrepreneurs share lessons and advice, furthering its commitment to helping entrepreneurs and small businesses thrive.

The new talk-show-style video series featuring renowned and respected entrepreneurs from across Africa, sharing practical advice and growth tips to inspire emerging entrepreneurs, is meant to complement and expand the Hustle Academy training.

This speaker series will allow SMBs to get insight from business owners from an array of sectors, focusing on the issues, themes and subjects they face on a regular basis.

“Our graduates are working hard to grow their businesses, and in addition to having an impact in these 5000 SMBs, this kind of practical training also has a ripple effect, helping many more people succeed,” the Head of Brand and Reputation for SSA at Google, Ms Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, stated.

“Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are the backbone of the global economy, and in Africa, they account for an estimated 80 per cent of jobs.

“In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) alone, there are an estimated 44 million micro, small and medium enterprises, which function as important drivers of economic growth,” she added.

Business Post gathered that this year’s graduates were chosen from nearly 10,000 applications and from 23 cohorts who attended five-day virtual bootcamps where they learned how to define their business strategy, increase sales, and how to pitch for investor funding. The curriculum also included lessons on digital marketing and effective financial planning.

Each business also received one on one mentoring sessions to address specific pain points in their businesses and to get advice from a network of trained mentors and coaches.

The initiative is part of Google’s support for businesses in Africa to allow them to take advantage of all the opportunities that the web offers and equip them with the tools to develop and grow.