Tinubu pledges to promote trade facilitation for African SMEs

President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to facilitating commerce for Africa’s small and medium enterprises, or SMEs.

Mr. Tinubu made the remarks during the Africa International Trade Exhibition, AITE 2023’s Business, Trade, and Investment Summit, which took place on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, in New York, USA.

Tunde MacAlabi, CEO of T-BYK Ventures; Prof. Tai Balofin, President of Nigerian Progressive Professionals; and Khuraira Musa, CEO of K-Pro Consulting of New York, coordinated the summit.

The President, who was represented by his Trade and Investment Minister, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, told investors that the Federal Government will take the required steps to ensure the ease of trade in the country.

Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, urged both global and domestic companies to invest in the sector, citing Nigeria’s large population, traffic, and flourishing aviation market.

Mr. Keyamo stated that world-class Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul, or MRO, facilities would be a fantastic place to start for investors.

According to him, there are not many MRO facilities in West Africa, which forces domestic airlines to transport their planes overseas for two months or more to get their planes serviced.

Earlier, Ms. Musa, author of ‘The Audacity of an African Girl’ and President of the Arewa Development Support Initiative, ADSI, stated that the event’s goal was to entice investors to invest in Nigeria.

“We want to have industries in Nigeria to process and manufacture our raw materials in order to provide jobs for our youth and women.”

Read also;

• DESOPADEC empowers Delta entrepreneurs with tools, funds
• Kwara engages agricultural stakeholders to boost SMEs in agribusiness
• Nigeria, France partner to address mining sector challenges
• Akwa Ibom promises to boost agriculture, create jobs
• Fire destroys shops in Ibadan market
  

“Continuing to allow our raw materials to be exported for next to nothing will keep our people in poverty.” We want Nigeria to modify the way it conducts business.

“We are confident that the outcomes of this meeting will have a long-term impact on the economic landscape, not only in Nigeria but also throughout the world.”