The Lagos State Government has reiterated its readiness to engender a boost in the production and consumption of locally made goods and take a leading role in the quest for diversification of the nation’s mono-product economy.

This assertion was made by the state’s Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Prince Rotimi Ogunleye, while addressing The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Business Women Group (NAWORG) who paid a courtesy visit to the Ministry at Alausa, Ikeja recently,

Prince Ogunleye said that as part of the State Government’s marketing intervention support programmes for operators of the MSMEs sub-sector, his ministry had organised the first MSME Exclusive Fair in Lagos State.

According to him, the fair was aimed at creating a platform for MSMEs in the state to showcase their products, enhance their visibility globally and increase patronage of their business. He proclaimed that many women entrepreneurs actively participated at the exhibition which indicates the appreciable size of women operating in the MSME subsector in the state.

The commissioner therefore assured the Business Women Group that his ministry will always be gender sensitive in its policy formulation agenda to encourage women who are into production. He also promised the group that the Ministry will look into benefits that could accrue to them in the state’s Industrial Parks and Enterprise Zones.

Speaking earlier at the occasion, the NACCIMA Business Women Group, NAWORG’s Vice President, Chief (Mrs.) Anita Nana Okuribido said the group came on a fact finding mission on how to create an enabling environment that would facilitate business development for women entrepreneurs in Lagos State.

Okuribido, representing the Chairperson, Chief (Mrs.) Alaba Lawson, explained that NAWORG is the umbrella body of all the women in Chambers of Commerce movements in Nigeria and the membership of the group is open to all women. The group was commissioned to coordinate the activities of women not only within the Chambers’ movement but also women across the West African Region under the auspices of ECOWAS Federation of Business Women (ECOWAS-FEBWE).

Chief Okuribido stated further that the Group has since inception coordinated and participated in various activities including annual trade exhibitions within Nigeria and the ECOWAS sub region.

News Express reports that the purpose of the annual exhibition is to create opportunity for members to network with other women in various business fields across the nation and from neighboring African countries.

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