Togo : Edem Bessanh, CEO of NUTRI-TOGO, named best SME Entrepreneur of 2017
Tuesday, 20 March 2018 12:54 
(Togo First) - A FCFA2 million check was recently granted to Edem Komlan Bessanh, CEO of NUTRI-TOGO SARL, by the minister of grass-roots development, Victoire tomégah-Dogbé. This was to reward the entrepreneur for winning the Best 2017 Entrepreneur SME Award.
Bessanh received his reward on March 16, 2018, during a cocktail-dinner. His business, let’s recall, produces mushroom-based beverages labelled “Champiso”. Commenting on his achievement, the entrepreneur said happily : “When you run a business, the most important thing is to have a strategy, knowing where you are heading to and commit to it. We have done many things, internally”. Lauding his team’s efforts he added: “This reward is not the fruit of my efforts alone; we are a team. Each and every one gave their best, in their respective field of work…”
Besides the Small and Medium Entreprises (SME) category, under the micro enterprises category, Elom Kossi Lomenou, who heads a firm called Elégance Plus, won the first prize with a CFA800,000 check.
Overall, 10 young entrepreneurs were rewarded, out of 26 selected. To choose winning participants, a specific set of criteria was observed. These include: contribution to grass-roots development, creating at least three jobs and business plan’s profitability. Also, candidates must have repaid loans they got from FAIEJ and PRADEB.
These two institutions, let it be noted, backed the “Best Entrepreneurs of the Year” contest. However, the event was sponsored by the Presidency. It aims to reward youths who dare and drive their peers to start a business, like they did.
