NASSI Flags -off Maiden International Trade Fair in Imo, Trains Industrialists on BOI Loan

The Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI), Imo State Chapter, yesterday, December 3, flagged off it’s maiden NASSI International Trade Fair in Imo State at the Imo State International Exhibition Center, Wetheral Road, Owerri. This was as NASSI also organized a workshop on business development and growth for small scale industrialists in the state, disclosing means of accessing the N75 billion federal government Business Support Loans to small scale industrialists through the Bank of Industry (BoI).

In his address, the National President of NASSI, Dr. Solomon Vongfa, represented by the Deputy National President, Elder Emenike Onu, described NASSI as an umbrella association for all trade groups of small scale industrialists which advocates and promotes the interest of members. He added that the association, collaborating with the BoI would ensure that successful applicants are given N1 million low interest loans of three years with three months moratorium period.

Elder Onu, disclosed that the trade fair was a “viable tool whereby members and other small scale business operators are made to showcase their products in order to promote public awareness and patronage,” hailing the association’s partnership with the Imo State government through the Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Investment.

Declaring the trade fair open, the Imo State Commissioner for Trade, Commerce and Investment, Barrister Rex Anunobi, commended NASSI for the initiative which he noted was part of the ministry’s mandate of exposing the great potentials of Imo State productivity and human development to the larger society. He added that such an event fosters Public Private Partnership (PPP) which the ministry undertakes with relevant agencies.

Barrister Anunobi, while enumerating the benefits of the trade fair, urged Imo State indigines outside the state to come home and invest in order to develop the state as well as create employment for the youths. He also highlighted some of the achievements of his ministry in human empowerment and revenue generation, while advising the participants to ensure the utilization of the opportunity of the workshop towards accessing the BoI loan, pledging government support.

Earlier, the Imo State Chairman NASSI, Elder Lambert Uwakwe in his address, described the trade fair as historic, adding that NASSI was established “to network the small scale industrialists to achieve a standard growth through funding, partnering and sensitization and other factors responsible for formulating the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Development Strategy.” He said that the nation needed small scale enterprises because they contribute to economic development.

On the trade fair, Elder Uwakwe, said that the exercise which would last for ten days with seminars on business development, adding that participating companies with potential export products will be assisted by NASSI to attend trade exhibitions abroad to stimulate them have foreign partnership with their companies as he urged participants to leverage the opportunity.

The opening ceremony witnessed lectures on business development and growth strategies as well as access to opportunities provided by the government. The speakers included Dr. Silas Nwosu of the Faculty of Business Administration, Imo State University and the Imo State Manager of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Dr. Mrs. Ifeoma Onyia.