Nigerians have been urged to always patronize locally made products and services for economic development and job creation.
Anambra State Director of the National Orientation Agency, Mr Charles Nwoji who made the call in a keynote address at a one-day zonal interactive forum on “Patronage of Made-in-Nigeria Goods and Services in Okpoko Ogbaru Local Government Area, stressed that the economy of any nation grows rapidly when locally made products are promoted through patronage, by its own people and through export.
Mr Nwoji a lawyer listed the aims of the interactive forum to include, educating Nigerians on the implications of preference to foreign goods and its effects on National economy and personal health, to encourage Ndi-Anambra to take pride in their own products and local industries to be competitive by producing high quality goods, among others, extolled Governor Chukwuma Soludo for beginning the campaign in Anambra State.
In a paper presentation on ” Challenges before Small and Medium Scale Enterprises and Industrialists in the South-East Region” Professor Uju Ezenekwe from Economics Department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, said there is an urgent need to strengthen capital structures as well as broaden the range of financing instruments available to Small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurs to enable them play their role in investment, growth, innovation and employment opportunities in the Southeast region.
Representatives of various agencies including, Bank of Industry, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, Standards Organization of Nigeria, Awka Chamber of Commerce, Nigeria Customs took time to educate small business owners on their services and how to access them.
The President General of Okpoko, Chief Francis Enemuo commended the National Orientation Agency for the initiative calling on young entrepreneurs to make good use of the opportunity while some of the small business owners, Nzubechukwu Mercy, Tobias Daberechukwu and Chuma Thompson described the interactive session as rewarding.
The event featured a question-and-answer session, exhibition of locally made products and inspection by the guests.
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