EXPORT PARTNERS EDUCATE ABA SHOE/GARMENT MAKERS ON AGOA (II).

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There is an unprecedented upsurge in the patronage of our local products nay, foot wears, fabrics and other assorted products churned out of Aba industries.
It is no conjecture, that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has engraved his name in Gold and in the tombstone of time as the champion and brain behind the catapulting “Enyimba” city to the acme of industrial and entrepreneurial prominence and cynosure.
In that light, since a lot progress have been achieved in the national terrain, via the extensive marketing strategy embarked upon by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, which have seen all Nigerians of different class and creed embrace the Aba brand wholeheartedly, which was christened “A smart business approach to governance” by the then Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. Our ebullient and indefatigable Governor has taken the bull by the horn by extending the good news to the international veranda, all and sundry have keyed into Governor Ikpeazu’s vision which inarguably has given the desired results.
It is also noteworthy that knowledge and readiness to tap into opportunities are essential and a credential for the survival of businesses both small, medium and large enterprises and in garnering scarce foreign exchange. This idea brought about the synergy between Fidelity Bank, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council(NEPC) and Ghana based West African Trade and Investment(WATI) hub in an African Growth and Opportunity Act(AGOA) workshop for leather and garment cluster businesses in the South Eastern part of the country.
The event, is part of the efforts targeted at boosting export volumes in Nigeria, just as the bank has been in the forefront of providing capacity building initiatives for customers and the business community across the country.
The two day event themed “TAKING THE ADVANTAGE OF EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES TO THE UNITED STATES UNDER AGOA”, slated to unfold from 11th to 12th April in Aba, Abia State, will feature mini-exhibition by producers of the leather and garment goods.
At a previous workshop which took place in another South Eastern State, the General manager overseeing the SMEs division, Fidelity Bank, Ken Opara who represented the Chief Executive Officer Nnamdi Okonkwo, remarked that it is the desire of the bank to give the entrepreneurs the needed exposure to the local and international market vis-a-vis the urgent importance to key into the incentive scheme that the United States government has organized to support and promote export of African products into the American markets.
“AGOA guarantees duty free exports, but our people are not fully aware of the compliance levels needed”, he stated.
He maintained that Fidelity Bank wants manufacturers in the Aba industrial cluster to generate the much sought foreign exchange, stating that Aba, being one of the commercial epicentre of the nation is pivotal to the diversification of the Nigerian economy to non oil sectors.
In his words, “we are using this platform to provide them with all that they need to know to secure loans, to be able to drive businesses in order to participate in the AGOA scheme. As a bank, we are with them all the way from capacity building to access to funding, including equipment financing where necessary”.
On his part, the WATI hub representative, Emmanuel Udouko, said that his organization provides technical assistance, capacity building and marketing linkage to West African subregion business concerns.
According to the apparel specialist, his mission to Aba will be to sensitize them on their readiness to export their products to America through AGOA platform and to enable them access the market leveraging the workshop as a good starting point.
A senior AGOA specialist, of USAID/WATI based in Ghana, harped on the numerous merits of AGOA on the Nigerian manufacturing terrain and need to educate them on how to be part of the scheme.
Another speaker, Chief Funso Abiri, an AGOA expert and consultant, with the NEPC, who was elated by the high level of interest from the Aba leather and apparels manufacturers, thanked Fidelity Bank For being handy in providing advice and financial assistance to the manufacturers.
The National Secretary of the Association of leather and Allied Industrialists of Nigeria(ALAIN), the umbrella body for the leather manufacturers in Nigeria, Ken Anyanwu commended the organizers of the workshop and expressed his members readiness to be part of the AGOA scheme.
The die has been cast, Abia is been remodelled to become a prosperous State, renowned for commerce and industry globally by our God given leader, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, and no stone is being left unturned in attaining this noble height, of making Abia truly number one.