BY IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
Edo State government has concluded plans to sponsor five local business owners to a trade fair holding in Lagos, as a way of exposing them to the intricacies of running modern business outfits.
The trade fair is organized by the National Association of Small Scale Industrialists, NASSI, and schedule to hold between May 9 – 13, in Lagos.
The state Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki in his determination to promote the production and the consumption of local goods and services, launched an ambitious “Made in Edo” policy to galvanise actions in that regard, with the state ministry of trade, industry and cooperatives supervising the efforts.
In a statement by the Hon commissioner for Trades Industry and Co-operatives , Hon Afie Braimoh, the five selected beneficiaries were those who displayed sufficient interest during the series of training conducted by her ministry on branding, packaging and financial literacy among MSMEs
Hon Braimoh who boasted that her ministry is poised to actualise the governor’s mandate on the promotion of”Made in Edo” goods and services, added that the sponsorship of the five business owners the first of such in the state , to the Lagos trade fair will help expand their horizon as well as exposed them to modern techniques of running MSME’s, based on the foundation laid by her ministry.
She noted, “The Lagos fair is a good forum to market our ” Made in Edo” policy to the outside world and also enable those being sponsored by the state to forge synergy with their counterparts across the country.
She disclosed further that 7 local brands of Edo speciality are among the brands that will be fully on exhibition at the fair ground, adding the exposure and techniques gained during the fair will be translated into improving the quality of “Made in Edo” goods and services.
“We have selected 7 great brands. In 6 days, we will be showcasing these brands at the NASSI MSME Trade Fair in Lagos from May 9th – May 13th. We are proud with the work and we stand by these brands.”
According to the list released by the ministry, some of the benefiaries of the trip to the Trade Fair are Osemwengie Victor Odion, Edo Shoe Manufacturing Company; also a beneficiary of Edo jobs and skills acquisition programme.
Miss Zarah Igbinedion of Zarah Luxury Accessories; Chioma Ogbe, Founder of Ritzy Foods, makers of Cereal Blitz .
Nneka Agholor of A & A Global Solutions, makers of Annie’s Chinny. a unique snack made from plants, first of such in Edo state