SMEs Converge On Lagos For Solutions To Economic Recession

Small and Medium Scale Enterprises(SMEs) from different parts of the federation would on Tuesday, Feb. 28, converge on Lagos to deliberate on their roles in providing solutions to Nigeria’s current economic recession.

The Convener of the One-day seminar, Mrs Shade Bembatoum-Young, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday that the  Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi, Lagos would host the seminar.

The Chief Executive Officer of the African Sustainable SME Trade Solutions (ASSETS), said that the seminar was aimed sensitising SMEs on their roles in harnessing Nigeria’s non-oil sector for export.

“Our close interactions with the SMEs have revealed that there are no post-workshop follow-up programmes to equip them with newly-acquired information, skills and contacts for regional and international markets.

“As the current economic recession continues unabated, we firmly resolve that our SMEs should be alive to their responsibilities of becoming major players in promoting Nigeria’s non-oil sector for export.

“We have, therefore, decided to on Tuesday, Feb. 28th, in collaboration with the Federal Institute for Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), to bring together the SMEs and other partners to look at the opportunities and challenges of SMEs in non-oil sector exportation,” she said.

The Bilingual Trade Development Expert said that the seminar would raise the awareness of the SMEs on the opportunities and challenges for them in the nation’s non-oil sector.

She also said that it was aimed at building SMEs capacities in the packaging and exportation of Nigeria’s non-oil sector products and services to regional and international markets.

Bembatoum-Young said that her organisation had recently established an ASSETS SME EXPORT BUSINESS NETWORK, aimed at creating an informed, motivated and committed community that would prepare SMEs to become important links in various non-oil export value chains.

She enjoined more interested SMEs and would be SMEs to avail themselves of the opportunities and skills that would be provided by the seminar.

The Bilingual Trade Development Expert also said that there would be opportunities for the SMEs to meet and interact with representatives of different local and international businesses and organisations at the seminar.