Otti stimulates economy, lauches MSMEs competitiveness, industrial productivity programme in Abia

Alex Otti, Governor of Abia State, has officially launched the Abia State Government – Ethnocentricintrique Limited MSMES Competitiveness and Industrial Productivity Programme (MCIPP), a major initiative aimed at strengthening small businesses, enhancing product quality, and promoting local manufacturing.

This launch also introduced MCIPP as a structured intentionally-aligned programme, designed to elevate Nigeria’s creative and small business ecosystem through standardised skills development business support services, certification, formalisation, and expanded market access, and would address long standing challenges faced by local artisans and MSMEs, positioning them to compete across Africa and the global market.

Speaking during the launch at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, with the theme “Enhancing MSME Competitiveness and Industrial Productivity for Sustainable Economic Growth Governor Otti urged manufacturers and consumers to end the practice of branding locally made goods with fake foreign names, adding that the trend suppresses genuine local innovation.

Read also: Otti turns 150 polytechnic graduates into entrepreneurs with N1m each

The governor commended Ethnocentrique Limited for starting the initiative with the MasterCard Foundation before Government’s involvement, noting that the proactive effort motivated the State to support the project fully.

He congratulated the 1,000 MSMEs participating in the first phase of the programme, adding that the State planned to scale the figure to 10,000. He said that an encounter with an Aba shoemaker who branded a locally made shoe with a foreign name, revealed the source of the problem.

The governor therefore said that the major task is to change the mindset of consumers, traders and manufacturers, so that “Made-in-Abia’’ products would be recognised as original rather than fake.

He further said that efforts had been made to promote Abia’s “Akwete Cloth” fashion line at the UN General Assembly, but warned that counterfeits were already emerging abroad which raises the need for intensive efforts to trademark the product.

Governor Otti, reaffirmed his commitment to supporting MSMEs with funding, skills training and structured systems, recalling that Abia State Government provided N1 billion to nano businesses last year and had made further budgetary allocations for MSMEs this year.

Read also: Otti vows to transform Abia into a hub for creative enterprise

Nike Ak, Commissioner for Industry and SMEs, in his speech, said that MCIPP was aimed at expanding business formalisation, skills certification and intellectual property protection across the State.

He disclosed that the programme targets the registration of 4,000 MSMEs through the Corporate Affairs Commission and sectoral regulators to improve access to procurement and national market standards.

Akpara said that the State would also train 100 Business Development Service Providers and produce 1,000 NSQF-certified artisans in garments, footwear, leatherwork and related industries to raise local quality standards and improve employability.

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