THE Africa Finance & Investment Forum (AFIF) will partner with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the first time on the occasion of the 11th edition of the Forum, taking place in Nairobi. Japanese experts will participate in the AFIF 2-day training, which aims to provide new tools to entrepreneurs to present a business plan to potential investors and access to finance.
JICA will present a concept aimed at applying best practices of Japanese management excellence – the Kaizen method – in some pilot companies in Kenya. “Kaizen” is the Japanese word for “improvement” and is defined as the methodology to advance all processes and systems of an enterprise. This exercise could have a big impact on the quality of SME’s corporate planning and work productivity.
According to the Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Kenya Office, Ms. Keiko Sano: “KAIZEN is one of JICA’s cooperation menus for private sector development that focuses on human resource development. It is Japan’s firm belief that human resource development is key to development as it has been for Japan. In this context, JICA continues to support the human resource development in the SMEs and private sector in Africa through KAIZEN related projects in more than 30 countries across the world. JICA is indeed honoured to share our KAIZEN experiences during this occassion of AFIF 2017”.
Also, Ms. Idit Miller, EMRC VP & Managing Director remarked: “We are delighted to be able to draw the Japanese management excellence closer to African entrepreneurs through our partnership with JICA. EMRC aims to strengthen the private sector in Africa and we believe that the Kaizen method can have a big impact in Kenya and beyond. I invite all SMEs to join us next week in Nairobi”.
Sources disclosed that the AFIF 2017 “Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Growth” will be hosted by the Strathmore University in Nairobi, from 13 to 16 February. The Pan-African meeting of SMEs managers, entrepreneurs, investors and government representatives will focus on entrepreneurship and innovation and access to finance in key sectors such as energy, water, health and agriculture.
