HOG sweeps through as the pedigree continues to remain pristine as Nigeria's favorite online retail platform for home, office, and Garden furniture, furnishing interior and decor. HOG has just been awarded by the Business Day Newspaper as the top fastest growing SME owning to its online standard practice and quality furniture items, introduced to its many Nigerian customers in making their interior and decor lifestyle better, and in turn, the company has continued to enjoy rich customers goodwill all across.

Business Day Top 100 MSMES Awardees 2022

The event which was a composite of conference and award night which took place at the Stables, Surulere, Lagos, housing several great speakers who are professionals traversing the Media, financial institutions{both micro & macro institutions}, Fintech, E-commerce, and many other sectors.

In the welcome address delivered by the publisher, Frank Aigbogun, having welcome great owners of these businesses who were present or represented, He stated in his brief introductory speech ''We do this on an annual basis except, perhaps for the time of Covid, to transmit the message that we know you are there{SMEs}, and that you are doing a great work, creating wealth and creating employment in Nigeria..''

Since its inception in the year 2018, Business Day Nigeria has continued to use its platform for the recognition, encouragement and propagation of SMEs growth.

This year's edition theme tagged '' How the SMEs can thrive in an age of volatility'', a theme chosen as a result of limited resources, lack of business incentives due to weak government policies, and lack of easy access to funds due to the continued increase in bank interest rate, and other factors threatening the survival of these SMEs hence making the business terrain not so comfortable for many establishments. The conference was split into four sessions as it makes the event rich with exclusive information to equip the teeming hardworking and curious entrepreneurs whose efforts were about to be rewarded.

The HOG representatives were in attendance for the topic ''Digital Transformation for SMEs'' been the 3rd session and anchored by Adaoha Njemanze, public Relation Leads of NOVVA Media & communications. The panelists were Babatunde Moses, Co-founder of Sycamore; Kelvin Uwaibi, Managing Director, the Edo State Investment Promotion office; Ezeadichie Onyeka, founder, of Haelsoft, and many others. They were able to dissect the topic leading to different segments of issues raised; and one of which is the need for every entrepreneur to embrace digitalization which serves as an enabler to their business growth. These great speakers could not withhold to themselves secrets that have also helped them in their journey to success. Also, the audience could not afford to be distracted as they all went into deep interactions during the question & answer period.

One of the things the HOG team learned is the importance to build up security around online business profiles by frustrating any moves of a security breach in any form. Also, some of the audience who were once victims of online frustrating transactions which birth the popular cliché ''what I ordered vs what I got'' which is ascribed to the Nigerian online experience, were so quick to throw questions around it. However, the speakers unanimously faulted this to the unregulated position of this nascent sector which has frustrated necessary checks on operator's activities ensuring that many users are not short-changed in the process of using various online platforms for the purchase of their needed items.

The award ceremony however started with another phase of activities, firstly with the welcome address by Dr. Ogho Okiti, Managing Director, Business Day Media limited as he urge the awardees to continue on the journey of excellence which they{Business Day} will continue to support their growth.

However, on the red carpet, the HOG team and other top dignitaries were greatly greeted with lots of media presence as the fashion sense was fully married to the nightlife of Lagos as we were all ready for the paparazzi, looking dapper amidst camera flashes while popular Afro-pop sounds playing underground as we all find our ways to our respective seats.

The audience really had a well-spent night as they unwind as both foreign and local cuisines & refreshments were served amidst intermittent game activities as the two MCs got their arts intact with a great synergy that existed between them, hence a great delivery managing the show to it great end.

 

 

Author: Olatunji Olasehan

Olatunji Olasehan, is an educationist by profession but is currently a Merchant recruiter & Affiliate manager at HOG- Home. Office. Garden online marketplace. He just regained his long-time love for writing as he expresses himself in the mood of Art that depicts his nature in a stylish manner towards appreciating his evolving environment.