As part of its efforts to support micro, small and medium enterprises in the state, the Enugu State government has announced plans to hold a trade fair for SMEs in the state in November this year.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on MSMEs and Digital Economy, Arinze Chilo-Offiah, announced the event during a press conference in Enugu on Thursday.
Chilo-Offiah said the trade fair was being organized by the Enugu State government through the Enugu SME Agency and Office of Digital Economy in collaboration with Naija Brand Chic, describing it as a recognised global brand that benefits small businesses by connecting them to larger markets and bringing them together into a community.
He said, “We have created a novel brand tagged ‘Enugu 042 and Naija Brand Chic Trade Fair’. This will be an annual event, beginning with the upcoming first edition on November 2nd and 3rd, 2024. Our partner has organized similar events in major Nigerian cities and other countries. Enugu SMEs will benefit immensely from connecting to the global market and becoming members of a community.
“We are so happy that this is happening and the governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah is excited about it and is giving us all the necessary support in line with his administration’s recognition of SMES as the lifeblood of any economy, as well as his commitment to unlocking business opportunities in the state, enabling the ease of doing business and growing the economy exponentially with private sector investment,” he said
Also speaking, the founder of Naija Brand Chic, Mrs. Nelly Agbogu said they expected vendors not only from Enugu and the South-East, but also from different parts of the country and abroad, adding that the fair would help business owners and vendors grow, be more visible, and meet new customers.
“We want to encourage trade. We want to help business owners and vendors grow, be more visible and connect to national and global markets. We will not stop at trade; we will also train them by bringing financial and business strategy consultants. We will bring in tech experts to train them on content creation so that they can market their products more effectively,” she stated.
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