General News
Mr Joseph Oru, Managing Director of Zenith Exhibitions, on Friday, urged the Federal Government to give the needed support to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to thrive in the country to enhance national development.
Oru made the appeal at a media conference to herald the Equipment and Manufacturing West Africa (EMWA) 2021 exhibition slated for April 27 to April 29 in Lagos.
He said: “SMEs is the bedrock of any economy and they are coming up with innovations every day but finance is a major problem.
“Government needs to support SMEs in the manufacturing sector to drive more innovations that will be of benefit to the economy,” he said.
Oru said the exhibition with the theme: “Industrialisation and Innovation; Revitalising the Industrial Sector to Unlock Nigeria’s Potential,” would feature over 100 international and local exhibitors.
He added that the exhibition would provide a platform to broaden the horizon and scope of trade opportunities for exhibitors and visitors.
“The EMWA exhibition is Nigeria’s foremost trade show for the manufacturing, engineering, machinery and supporting industries.
“International exhibitors from China, Qatar, Germany, Indonesia, Italy and local exhibitors numbering over 100 will be on the ground to showcase their products and interact with visitors.
“The event will hold alongside conference sessions and create an opportunity for free training and access to finance and networking across the industrial sector.
” It will also serve as a platform for businesses in the industry to reconnect and serve as catalysts to economic recovery after the unprecedented times experienced in 2020.
“I wish to invite industry regulatory bodies, companies, major players in the private and public institutions to collaborate with us in building the economy,” Oru said.
Also speaking, Hendro Jonathan, Director of Indonesia Trade Promotion Centre, said Nigeria and Indonesia had enjoyed good bilateral relations over the years.
Jonathan said that participation of Indonesian companies in the exhibition would further boost and strengthen ties between both countries.
“We are here to participate in this exhibition because we are keen about development and manufacturing, as we intend to showcase our products.
“We are happy to be part of what Zenith Exhibition is doing to promote and support the industry in Nigeria,” he said.
Also, Mr Daniel Muckenhaupt, the Managing Director of Protechnic Consulting, a German company, said that Nigeria had one of the biggest markets for industrial and manufacturing products.
Muckenhaupt said they would use the opportunity to showcase and open the market for German companies to thrive and boost Nigeria economy.
“The last exhibition was fantastic, we are looking forward to this year to further open and explore the Nigeria market which is one of the largest in Africa. (NAN)
– Apr. 16, 2021 @ 17:42 GMT
Tags: FG urges support for SMEs for national development
