…Signs MOU with Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture
BY ADEYEMI ROBINSON-ADEFIOYE LAGOS
The Office of Diaspora Affairs, acting on behalf of the Ekiti State government has concluded arrangements to expose locally made products of its small and medium scale enterprises to the international community.
This was disclosed by FEMI ODERE, Senior Special Assistant (Diaspora Affairs) to Ekiti State governor when he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CHIEF KOLA AKOSILE, President of Ekiti Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (EKCIMA) on Saturday, January 31, 2020 in Ado-Ekiti.
Explaining that his desire to enter into this agreement is part of his overarching objective of looking for ways to create wealth and enhance employment in Ekiti State.
The governor’s aide said that this collaboration is strategic to the initiative he started around the middle of last year.
“After interfacing with Ekiti indigenes in the Diaspora after my appointment, I started to encourage those I believe are business inclined to form what should be known as the Ekiti Diaspora Chamber of Commerce in their respective states and cities. Right now, we have these chambers in the UK, Texas and Oklahoma in the United States.
More of these chambers would spring up in due time around the world,” Odere said.
He said the initiative simply is to avail the emerging young Ekiti entrepreneurs the opportunities to sell their products beyond the shores of the country.
Expressing enthusiasm that the “Ekiti Entrepreneurship Week in which several state agencies collaborated to put together last year just fit perfectly into my Diaspora Chamber of Commerce agenda, the next step for me was to add EKCIMA networks into the grid,” the SSA to GOVERNOR FAYEMI said.
ODERE added that the MoU would assist the State government to explore the existing networks of EKCIMA to promote both interstate and intercontinental commerce.
He said: “one of the problems mitigating against our growth and development in anything we’re doing is our inability, or maybe unwillingness, to identify other structures already in existence that can magnify what we are doing and partner with these structures. EKCIMA is a key focal organization with a wealth of experience. As an affiliate of national Chamber of Commerce, they have their networks.
They’re well known. So, it makes sense to ride on these existing templates in order to help our young entrepreneurs expose their products outside the shores of Nigeria.”
“The half-shoe I’m wearing now was bought at that entrepreneurship week. It was locally made. You won’t dispute it if I told you that it was made in Italy. You can now imagine the revenue that would accrue to this young entrepreneur if he can be assisted in creating a linkage in selling his shoes to Nigerians and other Africans in the Diaspora.”
“What this means is that with the creation of this linkage, his sales would increase significantly and he would not only employ more hands as a result but he would also inspire others to get into the business.
This is how you create wealth for the individuals and society as well as job opportunities. Same goes with other locally made products like Aso-Ebi (local fabrics) and local raw foods for instance.”
In his remarks, the President of EKCIMA, CHIEF KOLA AKOSILE said the MoU would provide the opportunity to exploit the potential of Ekiti in Diaspora in such a way that would promote economic development and attract more investments to the State.
The signing of the MoU was witnessed by the Acting Director EKCIMA, MR OMOYAJOWO JOHN, the Ekiti Coordinator of the National Association of Commerce of Chamber, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) of Youth Entrepreneurs, MR SANYA OLUFEMI and other members of the organization.
