President of the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Sir Odeiga Jideonwo has described Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah as a man sent by God to wipe the tears of the business community in Enugu State.
He stated this during the opening ceremony of the 35th Enugu International Trade Fair.
Jideonwo noted that the policies and works of the governor were the evidence that “tomorrow is here,” adding that he has spent millions of naira within the last two weeks to asphalt the two-kilometre internal road of the trade fair complex just to ensure that participants and visitors at the Fair have a very good environment.
He said he was particularly delighted to welcome in a special way, the governor, who was represented by his deputy, Barr Ifeanyi Ossai.
The ECCIMA boss also lauded minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji for his support to SMEs especially in the area of Science and Technology
He stressed the need to identify startups with high level ingenuity and sponsor them for further training as well as providing them with capital to grow their businesses cannot be over emphasized.
Jideonwo pointed out that he was happy to note that despite all the challenges facing them in hosting Trade Fairs in the complex, they have been able to hold successfully up to this 35th edition.
“Since we commenced the hosting of the Fair here, fifteen years ago, we have been striving to improve on the infrastructural facilities in the complex.
“As you may have noticed, we erected and completed a mini exhibition hall, a ceremonial pavilion, asphalted about 40 percent of the internal road and installation of an air-conditioned tent within the resources available to the chamber to improve the hosting of our fair.
“This year we are equally building a 1,500sqm fully air-conditioned exhibition hall aimed at providing a more amenable environment to host our esteemed and highly valued participants and visitors to the fair.
“We have carried out these exercises after consultations with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment. These, we are doing by going extra mile to task,” he said.
He called on Federal Government through the CBN to reconsider reviewing downwards, interest rate, adding that it is of essence that policies of government especially as it affects credit to SMEs should be made to work by using the business associations as buffer for her members that are genuinely in need of credit facilities to expand their business operations.
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