By YETUNDE FATUNGASE

Ogun Government says it is working on making laws to prohibit the sale of imported fake Adire fabrics.

The state Commissioner for Industry, Trade, and Investment, Mr Adebola Sofela, disclosed this on Friday during the 2nd Annual Business Fair, organised by the Rotary Club of Isheri-North, Isheri.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the business fair is: “Bridging the Gap between Businesses and Communities 2.0”.

Sofela, represented by the ministry’s Director of Industrial Promotion, Kehinde Akintomide, said the laws would help to protect the indigenous fabric from foreign imitations.

He added that the present government had upscaled and inaugurated the Modern Adire Shared Facility at Asero and the Ogun Fashion Hub to support Adire business and the fashion industry.

He noted that to lay the foundation for a vibrant and resilient economy, the state had made strategic interventions towards the development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sub-sector.

Sofela identified the Ogun State Small and Medium Enterprises Financial Empowerment Scheme, made up of N2 billion MSME grants and loans, as a deliberate effort to enhance business competitiveness in the state.

The effort, he said, includes some other business support programmes.

According to the commissioner, the state government is also working on a 1,000-hectare industrial hub for the Small and Medium Enterprises Industrial Land Acquisition Scheme (SILAS).

He said this would enable small business owners to buy lands and establish their businesses at lower rates.

“Under the visionary leadership of His Excellency, Gov Dapo Abiodun, we have embarked on a transformative journey aimed at creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, fostering entrepreneurship, and uplifting our communities,” he said.

Speaking on accessing the interventions, Sofela stressed that the formalisation of businesses was one of the major conditions.

He urged interested entrepreneurs to register their businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and Business Premises Permit Portal (BPP).

Sofela commended the Rotary Club for organising the fair, just as he called on exhibitors at the programme to participate in the forthcoming Gateway International Trade Fair.

In his remarks, the President of the Club, Rotarian Daniel Nwejike, said the business fair would create a platform for MSMEs to have brand recognition and network.

He appealed to the government to extend its grants and other interventions to businesses at the fair. (NAN)

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