SMEDAN bemoans nonchalant approach to export drive

The Director-General, (DG), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda, has decried the attitude of Nigerian SMEs towards taking advantage of export windows due to poor quality of Nigerian products.

Dr. Radda was speaking at the knowledge sharing session under the agency’s Enterprise Network Initiative (ENI), programme held in Aba, Abia State.

The DG was represented by the Director, Policy Partnership and Coordinaton, Dr. Friday Okpara.

A statement released Friday by Ibrahim Mohammed, Head, Corporate Affairs Unit, SMEDAN, quoted the DG as saying ECOWAS, Asian, European and American markets as well as other African countries are yearning for Nigeria products.

Read also: SEC orders Oando Group CEO’s resignation

The Director-General noted that the quality of Nigerian products should be enhanced and the ease of doing business improved.

Dr. Radda added that Nigeria MSMEs should explore the huge markets with its unique products and that the standards and specifications should be enhanced and improved.

He also said labeling and packaging should meet international standards, “we should critically overhaul our strategy structure and system to be export ready ‘he said.

Dr. Radda explained that ENI is based on a unique organizational model for the Nigeria sector, adding the initiative was apt given the present realities of the nation’s economy which was in dire need of enhanced capacity to push her global competitiveness and inclusive growth.

The SMEDAN boss commended the federal government for the relentless effort in organizing MSME clinics in almost all states of the federation so as to ensure a friendly business environment and to improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now