Baku: Dr Elias-Farakhan Diomand©, Vice President, ECOWAS Small Business Coalition (ESBC), and Vice President, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s OIC-SMENET Bureau for Africa, has pledged to strengthen African SMEs’ visibility globally within three years. Diomand© made this commitment during a virtual interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), following his election as Vice President, OIC-SMENET Bureau for Africa, during a meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the OIC-SMENET Bureau was established by the OIC during its inaugural Halal Business Forum (AZHAB) meeting, where three vice-presidential positions were created for Asia, Africa, and Arabs. The Ivorian businessman was elected during the event, which was attended by delegations from Nigeria, Chad, Morocco, The Gambia, and Ivory Coast. Diomand© disclosed that over the next three years, his ambition and priority would be to value and strengthen the visibility of African Halal SMEs within the global transition to green growth.
Diomand© stated his commitment to facilitating African SMEs’ access to international markets by promoting eco-Halal standards and developing circular economy circuits, vital for sustainable competitiveness. He plans to coordinate OIC member country networks to harmonise standards, improve certification processes, and position SMEs as crucial levers of ethical, prosperous, and sustainable development.
The ESBC vice president described the Bakou Forum Final Declaration as a foundational text, recognising halal SMEs as indispensable engines for building a resilient economy grounded in strong spiritual and ethical values. He emphasised the need for collective mobilisation to strengthen their role in the green transition, including zero-waste supply chains, significant carbon emission reductions, and the creation of green jobs.
Diomand© expressed his vision for strong African leadership to make Africa’s SMEs models of innovative, ethical, and sustainable enterprises, blending deep spiritual values with international standards’ demands. He described the inaugural panel as a landmark moment, highlighting the strategic potential of Halal SMEs as pillars of durable economic resilience.
He was impressed by the global engagement of actors aligning Quranic values with internationally recognised standards and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Diomand© believes this dialogue between spirituality and contemporary requirements opens the way for a new generation of green Halal enterprises capable of combining economic performance with environmental responsibility.
The OIC-SMENET Vice President further explained that the principles of Halal went beyond mere certification, embodying an integral philosophy that enforces justice, transparency, and positive social impact.
