Miebi Senge
3 September 2008
Lagos — THE 2008 Microsoft Partner University, (MPU) a platform that provides valuable Microsoft Partners with the essential business and technical skills to enable them deliver satisfactory solutions to their customers to take advantage of the vast opportunities in the Nigerian and West African market place will be hosted at the Lagos Business School, (Pan African University).
A statement from Microsoft Nigeria to Vanguard states that the event, part of a global initiative that aims to provide technical, marketing and other skills to the partner community to enable them to deploy large solutions and market the solutions in a better way is targeted at all partners including solutions partners and ISVs.
It comes up from September 14th - 19th 2008.
The MPU will also provide a great platform to showcase to the rest of the world, the innovative and market specific solutions developed by the Microsoft Partners in the Anglophone West African region.
Fatumata Sokouna, the Partner Strategy and Programmes Manager for Microsoft West Central and Anglophone West Africa, said that this year's MPU presents a unique opportunity to celebrate the partners who work at the back-end most of the time and so are not very visible as key enablers of technology in the business place.
"We see our partners as real heroes, doing outstanding work in our market to deliver technology to change lives and businesses, so we themed this year's event 'Heroes Happen Here'. This is very important to us in view of the fact that it is an opportunity to showcase our partners on the global stage. At the same time we will provide them with the skills to become more productive and innovative," Sokouna said.
At the 2008 Partner University, Microsoft will be deploying renowned world experts as well as its core team of the brightest and the best Microsoft technology personnel the region to deliver the 4-day training.
The facilitators and technical specialists include Akin Akinwolere, Account Technology Specialist, June Anasiudu, Project Manager for Microsoft Services Group, Ejieke Maduka, Marketing Manager for the Enterprise Partner Group, Idowu Afe, Senior Partner Account Manager, Attilla Szenvedi, CSI Lead for West, East and Central Africa (WECA) and Ken Spann, the Developer Platform Lead for Anglophone West Africa.
Speaking on the expected impact of this year's university, Ms. Soukouna said that the first Microsoft Partner University Nigeria which brought together over 240 partners from the West African region for a 5 day back-to-school experience in Lagos highlighted the need to address every area of the partner business from strategy to delivery to ensure that the businesses are agile, efficient and profitable from end to end.
"This year's event will build on last year's which brought the resources of Microsoft's global Partner Academy program to our sub region for the first time. This is all part of the process of ensuring that our partners play on a level field with partners across the globe," she said.
General Manager/Head, Research, Strategy and Derivatives Market at the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) Mr. Farooq Oreagba, and other high level business specialists and advisors will make presentations on various business areas. Mr. Farooq is expected to highlight the business opportunities available in the market and paint the roadmap for the future at the opening ceremony.
While commending Microsoft for landing this great initiative in Nigeria, Mr. Farooq said: "I am very happy to associate with this initiative which will not only provide the required technical skills to deliver technology solutions in our market, but will also build an enlightened management cadre that will take informed decisions to transform our business environment from the inside out."
Over 300 high powered delegates from around the country and West Africa are being expected at this event which has been specially designed to ensure that each partner receives the precise training needed to achieve maximum success in the market place.
Soukouna says the team is excited at the level of interest that the partners have shown for the program. "We are very excited to see our partners clearly demonstrate their commitment to growing the software economy in our region. This encourages us to do even more to support them."
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. In 2000, Microsoft Nigeria was established to deliver these solutions and services through local partnerships, building local capacity in ICT.
Microsoft Nigeria currently works with well over a hundred partners to deliver business, education, communications, and financial business solutions across the West African sub region.
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