By Emma Sunday
MTN has partnered with the “Make in Nigeria” initiative to promote Nigerian-made products and support local businesses, reflecting its core value of supporting indigenous vendors.
The partnership was announced at the 15th edition of the ‘Make In Nigeria’ exhibition/conference with theme; “Fusion- A Tech and Agro Expo” in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.
The event, aimed at bridging the gap between agriculture and technology, brought together vendors of different products across the country, showcasing their locally made products and as well as speakers from Nigeria and abroad.
MTN at the conference, noted that it’s partnership with ‘Make in Nigeria’ aligns with the company’s core value of supporting indigenous vendors and events.
The firm also noted that it empowers Nigerian entrepreneurs, strengthens local businesses, and contributes to the country’s economic growth by fostering indigenous entrepreneurship and aligning with national local content policies through technology solutions, local content commitments, and participation in events.
Speaking at the event, Edidiong Umoh, MTN’s Enterprise Business Channel Analyst emphasized the importance of the partnership which according to him demonstrates the firm’s commitment to supporting local businesses and promoting entrepreneurship in Nigeria.
Umoh explained that MTN, by providing technology solutions and support, aims to empower businesses and contribute to the country’s economic growth.
He said the conference also affords the firm and opportunity to showcase its products and services.
Umoh assured businesses especially startups that MTN has solutions to their business challenges especially in terms of technology and support.
”At MTN Nigeria, one of our core values is to align with indigenous vendors and indigenous events. We like partnering with people making it in Nigeria and all sorts of start-ups, so when we saw the Make In Nigeria Exhibition and Conference, we saw it as an avenue to partner local vendors and show them our products and also show support to young entrepreneurs in Nigeria, ” he said.
”The key thing to take home is that firstly for everything technology, MTN has you covered and also note that MTN is people friendly and business friendly. We want SMEs and industries in Nigeria to know that we have solutions to impact their businesses.
”For us, we want to give visibility to all vendors assembled here and also showcase our products. We want to assure every business out there that MTN is 100 percent by your side in terms of business solutions and technology, ” the MTN official added.
Speakers at the event stressed the need for Nigeria to return and invest hugely in Agriculture as alternative to oil, while highlighting the potential of technology to unlock food security, expand value chains, and position Nigerian enterprises to compete globally.
In her keynote presentation, Professor Joy Eke-Ejiafor, a lecturer at the Rivers State University, emphasized the importance of harnessing agriculture as an alternative to oil in the Niger Delta region.
Eke-Ejiafor who spoke on “Building up Food Processing Value Chain in Niger Delta,” said “agriculture remains the white-gold of the region.”
She said, “Niger Delta should harness agriculture as an alternative to oil. We are seated at the base and the nation is on us, so there has to be an alternative because if we keep depending on the oil it may fail one day so, the only alternative is agriculture.
She noted that crops such as cassava, plantain, banana, maize, and seafoods that have vast potential for growth and export are all not harnessed, saying, “we should begin to look at those products both fresh and dry.”
She called on the government to support the Niger Delta region to get back especially in terms of agriculture considering the damage to its environment by years of the oil exploration.
An official of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Mr Dumbor Gbaraba, encouraged Nigerians to explore exportation as a means of growing the economy and diversifying it from oil, adding that the event which he said aligns with the core mandate of the organization in promote non-oil export.
Earlier in his address, Convener of Make In Nigeria Exhibition and Conference, Uche Onochie described the event is one of Nigeria’s most impactful platform for entrepreneurship, innovation and business growth.
He said, “This 15th edition is about bridging the transformative power of technology with the strength of agriculture, showcasing how innovation can unlock food security, expand value chains and position Nigerian enterprises to compete at world-class standards.
”This year’s edition, beyond exhibitions and conferences, introduces a Hachathon where brilliant minds would co-create solutions to some of the most pressing challenges to agriculture and businesses,” he said.
Exhibitors at the event, such as NESSAS GLAMOUR COLLECTION, a Port Harcourt Based Footwear manufacturing company, Mema Family Care, also Nigerian firm producing locally made foods and household items, expressed excitement about the opportunity to showcase their products and reach a wider audience.
They called on the government to support and encourage local entrepreneurs and manufacturers to grow and also get certification for exports.
Speaking with journalists, CEO of NESSAS GLAMOUR COLLECTION, Miss. Awuse Eruchi Happiness said, ”I feel so alive being part of this exhibition. Yes, I feel great because it gives us the opportunity to showcase our business to the world.”
