Agbakoba’s firm, SME100 to help small businesses

The Regulatory and Compliance Department, Olisa Agbakoba Legal
has entered into an alliance with SME100 Nigeria, with the aim of
offering legal advice to small and medium-scale businesses within
the latter’s community.

The law firm, in a statement, explained that with the alliance
it would be helping SMEs to identify and meet regulatory
responsibilities as well as provide arbitration and mediation
services for them.

It explained that “commercial mediation is an effective and
cheaper form of dispute resolution method and it can help to
resolve business matters quickly and cost-effectively. This makes
the best option for SMEs.”

The Executive Director, SME100, Mr. Charles Odii, explained that
the collaboration was borne out of the need to stem the tide of
early failure among SMEs in the country.

He noted that due to lack of information on necessary regulatory
requirements, many SMEs run into trouble, which sometimes leads to
their death.

The two firms signed a Memorandum of Understanding last week in
the OAL Ikoyi office, where SME100 was represented by Odii and the
firm’s Director of Programmes, Mr. Tope Adekoya.

Signing on behalf of OAL were the law firm’s Head of Regulatory
and Compliance Department, Mrs. Beverly Agbakoba-Onyejianya, and
Mrs. Yvonne Ezekiel, a partner in the firm.

OAL explained that the purpose of the alliance “is essentially
to support small businesses in a number of ways, including capacity
building; increased legal and regulatory awareness; and
encouragement of entrepreneurial spirit.”

The firm expressed the hope that the collaboration would
“indirectly support more families; contribute to the informal
sector; help small businesses fit into the structured economy by
nurturing them to become strong, sustainable businesses that can be
major contributors to the GDP.”

The Regulatory and Compliance Department, Olisa Agbakoba Legal
has entered into an alliance with SME100 Nigeria, with the aim of
offering legal advice to small and medium-scale businesses within
the latter’s community.

The law firm, in a statement, explained that with the alliance
it would be helping SMEs to identify and meet regulatory
responsibilities as well as provide arbitration and mediation
services for them.

It explained that “commercial mediation is an effective and
cheaper form of dispute resolution method and it can help to
resolve business matters quickly and cost-effectively. This makes
the best option for SMEs.”

The Executive Director, SME100, Mr. Charles Odii, explained that
the collaboration was borne out of the need to stem the tide of
early failure among SMEs in the country.

He noted that due to lack of information on necessary regulatory
requirements, many SMEs run into trouble, which sometimes leads to
their death.

The two firms signed a Memorandum of Understanding last week in
the OAL Ikoyi office, where SME100 was represented by Odii and the
firm’s Director of Programmes, Mr. Tope Adekoya.

Signing on behalf of OAL were the law firm’s Head of Regulatory
and Compliance Department, Mrs. Beverly Agbakoba-Onyejianya, and
Mrs. Yvonne Ezekiel, a partner in the firm.

OAL explained that the purpose of the alliance “is essentially
to support small businesses in a number of ways, including capacity
building; increased legal and regulatory awareness; and
encouragement of entrepreneurial spirit.”

The firm expressed the hope that the collaboration would
“indirectly support more families; contribute to the informal
sector; help small businesses fit into the structured economy by
nurturing them to become strong, sustainable businesses that can be
major contributors to the GDP.”