AVCA Members Invest $10m in SMEs Businesses

Alitheia Capital, a private equity firm based in Nigeria and a member of the African Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (AVCA), has invested $10 million in the past 18 months into the Nigerian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector.

AVCA is a non-profit association, which aims to promote, develop and stimulate private equity and venture capital in Africa through research, advocacy, training and networking. AVCA was  established to promote investment in Africa and to play a crucial role in the development of SMEs.

Speaking in Lagos, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Alitheia Capital, and AVCA board member, Ms. Tokunboh Ishmael, said apart from $10 million invested in Nigerian SMEs, the Alitheia also invested $10 million in some SMEs in Ghana as well.

Although she did not mention the particular companies, she noted that the Private Equity community has in excess of 1,000 investments across Africa.

Ishmael, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Alitheia Capital, said  private equity and venture capital  are very crucial for SME sector finance.

She said: “Private equity and venture capital plays a crucial role in financing the SME sector, which is  the engine of economic growth the world over.”

Speaking in the same vein, the  Chief Executive Officer, African Capital Alliance, Mr Okey Enelamah, said that  his firm’s targets  is unlisted businesses to prepare them for listing.
According to Enelamah AVCA would continue to create an enabling environment to attract capital and investment into Africa.

“AVCA will support local businesses to build their potential, establish strong corporate governance structure to ensure sustainable growth,” he said.
He re-emphasised the mission of AVCA, which is to promote and catalyse the private equity and venture capital industry across Africa.

Speaking on the 11th  annual conference  of AVCA slated for March 31 and April 2, Enelamah said the conference  would offer an opportunity for investors to understand all the reforms in Africa and their investment potentials.