Ambode: MSMES Must Target Globally Competitive, Exportable Products

Jonathan Eze

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has tasked operators of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to maintain relevance in the ever-dynamic market by producing qualitative globally, competitive consumables and exportable products and services.

He noted that globalisation and changing consumer experiences, make it imperative that MSMEs keep abreast of competition and maintain relevance.

The governor who was represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Hon. Oluseye Oladejo, made this remarks in Lagos yesterday at the 3rd edition of the MSMES exclusive fair at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere.

According to Ambode, the potential in the MSMEs sector in terms of wealth creation and employment generation are too attractive to be ignored by any discerning government.

“It is for this reason that my administration deemed it expedient to put in place policies, projects and programmes aimed at ameliorating the gamut of challenges being faced by the MSME sector.

“One of such programmes is the MSME Exclusive Fair which is the flagship trade fair and exhibition in the state that gives indigenous small businesses increased leverage for local market access and global visibility. Over its years of existence, the fair has delivered on its promise of encouraging patronage of our locally-made products by consumers, investors and the State Government.”

Affirming that MSMEs are the backbone of the state economy and largely responsible for local industrialisation, value addition, wealth creation, poverty alleviation and improved standards of living, he attested that their products have proven to be not only efficacious but have substantially increased the national Gross Domestic Products (GDP).

The governor assured operators and stakeholders that he would continue to design and implement policies and programmes that would accelerate the actualisation of goals of sustainable trade, industrial and economic development.

“We are therefore, emboldened to call on the Organised Private Sector to continue to collaborate with our government in our bid to enhance the quality and overall performance of our MSMEs for business prosperity and economic development of Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole.”

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives. Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, said the Lagos MSMEs fair was conceived to develop an innovation private sector economy by enhancing profitability of the vibrant MSME operators through a dedicated platform.

According to her, the reports from the two earlier editions were very satisfactory and I make bold to say that the objective of the Lagos MSME is been gradually achieved, though not yet at the promised land and this is why we have been improving on the packaging to be in tune with the economic realities. She said, ‘MSME will enhance the quality of products for global competitiveness. It is aimed at facilitating MSME product, quality management, improvement and readiness for local and international markets. For these reasons therefore, we have articulated an array of activities that would make this exhibition attainable.

She further assured that entrepreneurs displaying their products and services at the fare have been selected based on innovativeness, quality and marketing appeal of their products. She however, charged consumers to believe in locally made products and patronise them as a way of joining, building strengthening and improving their contributions to the GDP.

“Let us realise that the more we patronise made in Nigeria goods and made in Lagos product, the more jobs we would be creating”.