2014 Tutu Fellow Ada Osakwe was interviewed by Richard Quest on CNN regarding the impact of COVID-19 on businesses in Nigeria and how she has been helping her employees. Ada explained how she was prioritising her employees, but that small businesses, which were negatively impacted by social distancing and closures, needed government assistance.

Ada is the Chief Executive of Agrolay Ventures, an investment firm dedicated to growing the agricultural and food sector in Africa and the owner of Nuli, which has multiple stores selling health-conscious foods. With the coronavirus ravaging economies across the globe, the media is looking at how small businesses are coping with the pandemic. 

Richard Quest, is a journalist and the CNN Business Editor at Large, and interviewed her on his programme Quest Means Business.

Given the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to minimise social contact, many businesses like Ada's are temporarily closing. Sales at her health food restaurant, Nuli, are down 95% due to lockdowns. Still, Ada is optimistic: “As long as we stay together as small businesses, as humanity, we should be able to pull through this.”  She explains in the interview that she has continued to prioritise her workers where possible, but the future, if trends continue, are bleak.

Ada did call for support for small and medium businesses from the Nigerian government.

Watch the full interview below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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About AFLI

 

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The African Leadership Institute (AFLI) focuses on building the capacity and capability of visionary and strategic leadership across the continent. Developing exceptional leaders representing all spheres of society, the Institute’s flagship programme is the prestigious Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellowship. Offering a multifaceted learning experience and run in partnership with Oxford University, it is awarded annually to 20-25 carefully chosen candidates, nominated from across Africa. Alumni of the African Leadership Institute form a dynamic network of Fellows passionately committed to the continent’s transformation, bridging the divide between nations and ensuring that Africa is set centre-stage in global affairs.