The All Africa Association for Small and Medium Enterprises, (AAASME) has elected a Nigerian-born and former Director-General of the Bayelsa State Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency, Dr. Ebiekure Jasper Eradiri as its President.
Ebiekure as contained in a statement made available to the newsmen was unanimously elected for meritoriously serving the AAASME for 6 years as Secretary General, then two and half months as Interim Administrator.
The Statement further unveiled a 13-member Executive Committee to work with the President in achieving the Objectives and Mandates set out by the AAASME Constitution.
Eradiri in his acceptance speech pledged to discharge the assignment with the Fear of God in his heart and to the benefit of Africa’s 100 million SME ecosystem.
He further thanked the past EXCO as well as the entire AAASME Family for the high confidence reposed in him and assured him to not betray the trust. Again, he marshalled his 4 cardinal C’s of Cooperation, Collaboration, Coordination and Communication as the pillars on which he would hit the ground running.
He reiterated his desire to broaden the work with partners, Alliances and Friends of Africa to deepen engagements for a Continental SME Revolution to birth economic prosperity as enshrined in AU Agenda 2063 #TheAfricaWeWant.
In the days ahead, the World SME Day shall be celebrated on June 27th with AAASME hosting on the Margins the Africa SME Roundtable, a side event at Abuja, Nigeria from June 28 to 29,2024.
The President of AAASME also used the opportunity to Congratulate The Africa Development Bank for 60 years of Service on the Continent, the UNCTAD for its 60 Anniversary as well as International Trade Center for its 60yrs Anniversary and the African Union over the adoption and ratification of Continental Definition for SMEs which has been an Advocacy item of AAASME for the past 6yrs.
Dr. Eradiri before his election had served in various capacities which include; Pioneer Secretary-General of the All-Africa Association for Small and Medium Enterprises, Director-General of the Bayelsa State Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency, Senior Special Assistant to Governor of Bayelsa State of Nigeria on Small and Medium Enterprises Development(2012-2020), Member of the World Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (WASME), Board member of BDIC Organic Polymers Ltd and Bayelsa Enterprise Hubs Management Limited amongst other boards of organisations in Africa and around the globe and Technical Advisor to Bayelsa State Government on Economic Development and Liaison(2022-2024).
Other positions previously held include Global Chief Enterprise Officer SureAid Africa Holdings Consortium with over a decade of experience in the SME development space as an entrepreneur and consultant.
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