Ndi Imo | Hon Simon Ebegbulem charges Manufactures to make their products International Standard
Hon Simon Ebegbulem charges Manufactures to make their products International Standard
The Commissioner for Commerce and Industry Comrade Simon Ebegbulem has charged businessmen and producers of export commodities in the State to develop and package products that command international acceptance.
Commissioner Ebegbulem gave the charge in his message at a workshop on the Role of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), in the Growth and Development of Intra African Trade; Laws and Treaties organized by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Imo State Office.
The Commissioner whose message was delivered by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Mr. G.E Nnah equally called on the Nigerian Export Promotion Council to proffer solution and ways of reviving interest in export business.
He pointed out that apart from oil which accounts for over 90 percent of the nation's revenue, Nigeria does not have much of an economy. Comrade Ebegbulem observed with nostalgia that in the past the country was among the top exporters of timber, cocoa, groundnut, rubber, palm oil etc. He went further to point out that the country also made foreign earnings from international tourism by attracting visitors to Oguta lake, Yankarri games reserve, Obudu cattle ranch etc nothing that the African Continent offers a large market for these goods and services.
The Commissioner also informed the gathering that the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo recently opened the 29th edition of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Clinic and Commissioned the Fashion Cluster at Amakohia Owerri, stating that the cluster has well equipped Industrial sewing machines to help skilled dressmakers in the state practice their trade and produce trendy designed dresses including T-shirts that will command international acceptance and implored the businessmen and women to exploit the opportunity.
In his speech earlier, the Head/Trade Promotion Advisor, Nigerian Export Promotion Council Owerri Mr Anthony Ajuruchi said that his agency which is saddled with the mandate of promoting non-oil export shall continuously sustain increased efforts to accelerate competitiveness of Nigerian exportable brands in the free trade area market through partnerships and collaboration with relevant agencies and international development partners to ensure that Nigerian exporters are adequately and sufficiently prepared for the single largest market in Africa. This he said will deepen economic integration in Africa thereby making Nigeria to gain from increased access to cheaper goods and services from other African countries.
The workshop which attracted the presence of the President Imo Exporters Summit, His Royal Highness Eze George Eke and other stakeholders in the export business featured lectures by the representative of the Executive Director/ CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Barr Ben Acho and Barr Ngozi Ojekpe.
