A conference which is aiming to reshape the landscape of African businesses in the UK will take place in Bradford in November.
By Annette McIntyre
“The Future of African Businesses in the UK” is being heralded as a “groundbreaking” event by its organisers the African Business Forum Bradford.
The forum, which is the first of its kind in the UK, has been extended to include all of Yorkshire, and will now be officially launched at the conference in November.
In a statement the organisation said: “We are excited to announce a momentous event that is set to reshape the landscape of African businesses in the UK. On November 18, 2023, the African Business Forum Bradford will host a groundbreaking event under the theme The Future of African Businesses in the UK alongside the grand launch of our organisation.
“Driven by the shared vision of individuals of African and Caribbean descent, the African Business Forum Bradford is committed to empowering African businesses to establish and flourish within the dynamic UK market. Our multifaceted approach includes comprehensive training programs, expert guidance for business registration, and facilitating access to vital grants and funding opportunities.
“At the heart of our mission lies the belief that collective prosperity emerges from collaborative efforts. Through this event, we aim to foster a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and inspiration. “Together, we envision a thriving ecosystem where African businesses can thrive, innovate, and contribute significantly to the UK economy.
“We invite you to join us on this transformative journey by following our updates on social media handles.
“Stay tuned as we unravel the future of African businesses in the UK and mark the momentous launch of the African Business Forum Bradford.”
The forum has a vision for inclusivity and support and is dedicated to empowering African entrepreneurs to thrive in Bradford and across Yorkshire.
It says: “We believe in the power of individual mentorships, offering guidance and expertise tailored to the unique challenges faced by each business owner. Additionally, we assist with business registrations, helping our members navigate the legal and administrative aspects of establishing their enterprises.
“Furthermore, we provide essential resources, ranging from financial guidance to access to business development tools, ensuring that our entrepreneurs have the necessary support to expand their ventures.”
Convener Dr Olushola Kolawole said the event was being organised by OAK – an initiative which was set up by him and which takes its name from his initials.
He said: “We are trying to provide support for people of African descent who are linked to businesses in Yorkshire.”
He said the platform had originally been set up for people in Bradford but when they started organising the conference there was widespread interest from people across Yorkshire.
“So we thought, why don’t we make it an inclusive Yorkshire organisation?,” he added.
Dr Kolawole said the forum provided support for those who were already in business and those who were hoping to go into business. It helps to provide economic opportunity and creates an environment where diversity is celebrated, and individualism is encouraged.
He said people went into business not only to support themselves but because they wanted to contribute economically to the region and they wanted to be able to employ people.
He said the African Business Forum was the first in the UK and was open to anyone living here who is of African descent.
“We don’t want to differentiate between African and Caribbean so that is why we accept anybody of African descent. You can be from the Caribbean, you can be from West Africa, East Africa, we are all included.”
One of the group’s aims is to build links with Africa.
“That’s part of our mission and we also want to build a bridge between those who are already here but who want to invest in Africa as well,” Dr Kolawole said.
The forum is aiming to help anyone who wants to engage with local businesses back in Africa, making importation and exportation very easy, and working with government organisations.
It is now working out how many African businesses there are in the Yorkshire region.
“We are putting those statistics together. I am aware that in Bradford we have close to 50, if not more, doing different things,” he said.
“We’ve got restaurants for example. We’ve got an African stall where they sell different African materials, food items and so on. We’ve got a coffee shop.”
He said research carried out by Nat West Bank four years ago showed that businesses set up by people of African descent were more likely to close, and that this was due to a lack of support and resources.
He believes many of these people will not have been aware of the help that is available.
“The awareness is not there,” he said. “They don’t know that there are organisations and government support that they can work with.”
That is where the African Business Forum can help.
“They can come to us and we make it easy for them,” he said. “We have met with a lot of organisations. And they’ve told us the facts of what they have available for African businesses. We will be able to speak in their own language to them, telling them where to go for support.”
Dr Kolawole has many years of business and academic experience.He has a PhD in Operations and Supply Chain Management from the University of Bradford, School of Management. He also holds a Master’s degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Heriot-Watt University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Research Methods from the University of Bradford and a degree in Economics.
In September 2021, he received a Global Talent Endorsement (GTE) from the UK Government. He is now a lecturer at the University of Bradford.
Before coming to the UK he ran a primary school and a secondary school in Nigeria. He also served as the Head of Logistics for the African Union Commission Mission in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.
He now also runs a consulting firm, OAK Limited UK, providing educational support. And in Africa he runs a charitable organisation called OAK Charity.
The African Business Forum has a total of seven directors.
The conference will take place at a venue in the centre of Bradford and organisers are planning for 150 people to attend the free event.
Earlier this year an OAK UK Initiative spokesperson said: “The UK presents arguably the best environment to start and excel in entrepreneurship.
“The majority of international students are very much unaware of this huge opportunity.”
