African adventure as management firm wins contract to train in Nigerian capital

Abeceder agreed the 50,000-a-year contract to represent the commercial arm of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

The work, for CIPD Enterprises, will be for two years initially. It will begin with the promotion of open training courses which begin in the Nigerian capital, Lagos, in September.

Abeceder, which is based in Leeds, has been working in Nigeria for the past two years, providing training to businesses and public sector organisations.

Michael Millward, managing director of the firm, said: "Working with the Institute in this way is a great vote of confidence in Abeceder from our professional body."

Mr Millward, who has been in the HR industry for 29 years and also has extensive experience of working in Hong Kong, said Nigeria was quite different to the image typically associated with it by Westerners.

"I found a country of friendly hard-working people who are passionate about building Nigeria but who are also very aware of the issues facing the country. They are also passionate about learning, which is good for us.

"And, like in many parts of the world, business in Nigeria is relationship based and best done face to face. We find

that decisions are made quickly once the relationship has been built. Security has not been an issue; in the evenings I have enjoyed visits to the cinema, and some very good restaurants. The trick is to abide by the rules, just as you would in any other country, even the UK."

Andrew Spencer, head of CIPD Training said: "This initiative with Abeceder enables us to spread the word of best practice in management and people development, collaborating with an organisation with vast experience of operating in this part of the world."

Earlier this year Abeceder received a boost when it won an expanded contract to distribute workplace safety products featuring characters from The Simpsons.

The company agreed an open-ended deal with SafetyWorld to provide workplace safety awareness programs and products.

It began working with SafetyWorld four years ago and has since began selling its products in Australia.

Now Mr Millward, the founder of Abeceder, wants to take the The Simpsons Safety through Awareness, Focus and Education (SAFE) to more foreign governments.

The project consists of a series of posters and safety education products featuring characters from the popular cartoon.