More than 100 Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are to participate at the 2022 Lagos MSMEs fair, Director-General of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr Olawale Fasanya, says.
Fasanya, in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, said that the event would afford exhibitors the opportunity to showcase their wares and enjoy business advisory services on how to upscale their businesses.
According to Fasanya, the fair scheduled to be held in Ipodo, Ikeja from Sept. 26 to Sept. 30 has the theme “Competing for Market’’.
“This year’s MSMEs fair in Ipodo would afford exhibitors the opportunity to showcase their wares as well as enjoy business advisory services from SMEDAN on how to upscale their businesses,’’ Fasanya said.
He described MSMEs fairs as veritable ground to promote Made-in-Nigeria products.
“The fair offers MSMEs a real life platform to hook up to not only market opportunities but also to network with relevant agencies in the MSME ecosystem.
“SMEDAN has come to embrace the Ipodo fair because of the success recorded in the maiden edition and we shall continue to support MSMEs as they are the backbones of any thriving economy.
“The agency recently organised a successful opportunity fair in collaboration with the Edo State Government in Benin city and next week we shall also be organising another opportunity fair in Jos.
“All these are targeted at encouraging our MSMEs and boosting Made-in-Nigeria goods,’’ he said.
Fasanya pledged that SMEDAN would continue to step up sustainable programmes to boost the capacity of MSMEs in Nigeria.
According to him, sustainable initiatives and organisation of trade fairs and expos as well as sensitisation would boost patronage of Made-in- Nigeria goods.
“The Mass of the people are ignorant of the fact that quality and durable products are also produced by MSMEs in Nigeria,” he said.
Fasanya added that the Ipodo fair would show that Nigeria’s MSMEs can produce good things and this will make the people to have a rethink and improve on the patronage of locally made product.
He said that the agency was planning to host an opportunity fair for the people with disability in the near future.
