Mrs Adebola Williams, President of the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), has expressed the Chamber’s commitment to promoting the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises to maintain their long-term viability and conformity with international standards.
She made the remarks during a press event on Monday for the next 2024 edition of the Africa Foods & Products Exhibition, which will be held in Lagos in April under the subject “Actualising Sustainable Economic Growth” – “Think Global, Be Local.”
Williams stated, “The NACC promotes bilateral trade between the United States and Nigeria through networking, advocacy, and investment.
According to her, the focus is on SMEs and micro-enterprises, providing platforms for business interactions, profiling, and exploring worldwide opportunities with the transforming Nigerian products into completed commodities for export to maximize revenue, the primary aim.
She said that the Chamber engages with policymakers to address business growth concerns and act as a link between Nigerian and American businesses.
Ms Wofai Samuel, Acting Director-General of NACC, also emphasized the platform’s ability to help Nigerian businesses and SMEs across Africa form partnerships with similar companies in their niches and connect with importers, producers, suppliers, distributors, and retailers.
In her speech, she disclosed that the opportunity reinforces Nigeria’s position as the biggest market in Africa and creates new entry paths for emerging products.
According to her, they look forward to the influx of visitors not only in Nigeria but also in other parts of the continent as the success of this edition will re-echo the Chamber’s position as the foremost for promoting intra-African trade.
Ayo Stuffman, Chairman of the African Foods & Products Exhibition Committee, stated that the exhibition will allow Nigerian firms, both members and non-members, to present their products.
According to Stuffman, it will also help SMEs improve their operations by providing insights from established organizations.
Mrs Yemisi Ogundipe, Vice Chairman of the African Foods & Products Exhibition Committee, said, “The theme is timely given the current state of the Nigerian economy. The Chamber has recognized that many businesses are struggling due to government policies and other issues.
It is critical to secure the sustainability of businesses because they are an essential part of the economy. “She emphasized the necessity of SMEs thriving, pointing out that many fail within five years. According to her, the NACC wants to make them sustainable, and the exhibition educates business owners on the current situation of the Nigerian economy and how to achieve slow, sustainable growth.
