‘Entrepreneurs must treasure integrity beyond money’
Market and Finance are seen as twin elements that make or mar business but integrity is considered the most important thing as it is believed that the absence of it produces negative reputation that kills business. Now, as the nation is paying huge attention on non-oil exports to boost the economy, entrepreneurs across the country, especially the youths, have been asked to embrace integrity as a virtue while running their businesses. Reason is that integrity would sustain their businesses at the local, national and international market.
Speakers and participants at the one-day Nonoil technical session organised for youths in Delta State, recently, revealed that since the international market is characterized with competition, only those with integrity would win the market.
Yes, you need finance to boost your business just as you need market to sell your product but beyond the twin factors, you must have integrity if you must be a successful entrepreneur and exporter, said the Executive Assistant to the Delta State Governor and Coordinator, DELTA-UNIDO Centre/export Initiative, Shimite Bello.
Bello, one of the resource persons at the event, said this as she delivered a lecture titled, “Preparing for International Market: Access to Finance and Market”.
She said that lack of integrity had been responsible for the failure of most businesses because the owners of the businesses chose to be dubious rather than being transparent and honest in their dealings with clients and customers.
Most people prefer to cheat and dupe their customers without knowing that it is a very fast way of killing the business they had suffered to build. “But integrity will give you finance and most importantly, it will keep your customers because if you deal (dupe or cheat) with them the first time, you’ll get away with it but next time, they won’t come back. And they would also talk to somebody about their experience with you. Before you know it, you will have a bad reputation”, she explained.
On the other hand, exhibiting the right attitude would take the entrepreneur to his/her altitude as those he had dealings with, would share their experience too and thereby shoring up his image and that of his business. So, if you want to succeed, it depends on you to be honest and never to take advantage of anyone in doing business”, she said, adding that integrity is even more important than money.
She made Delta youths in export to understand that her office was working hard to ensure they have access to markets for their products and urged them to ensure their products were of good quality.
She listed the different financial institutions where they could access different funds for their businesses. “I want you to know that different finance houses focus on different areas of finance - NEXIM focuses on contract, BOI focuses on equipment purchase. BOA focuses on agriculture and CBN has interventions that focus on different areas.”
“I’m here to make you understand where you need to focus and then, we move on from there.
“Our mandate is on non-oil export, to ensure Delta products get to the international market, do oversight functions, and support mechanism for quality assurance of our products and services amongst others, as she advised them to always target value addition to their products because that is what the market requires.”
In those days, there was a big market for farming palm kernel. You just sell the palm kernel like that but now, they want to turn it to palm oil, palm kernel oil, soap etc. That’s what the market is asking for now”, she revealed.
The services we offer in this office is access to market, access to finance, proper documentation, branding, packaging and labeling. You must have the ability to package and brand your
products to attract buyers.
Kejekpo Omonade, managing director of an Ughelli-based manufacturing company, Runo Integrated Services corroborated Bello’s stand as he narrated his experience in the production and marketing of Honeyglow Soap over the years.
“We started production with N2,000 years back and today, we are making millions of naira as customers at local and international markets are after our product quality as they are attracted also by our integrity. The journey might not be rosy but slow and steady wins the race”, he said.
The Nigerian Export Promotion Commission (NEPC), through the Executive Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Olusegun Awolowo, in a keynote address, had called on the Delta State Government and relevant stakeholders to join hands with her to take the youth entrepreneurs in the state to break barriers and connect to the global market.
Awolowo assured that the commission would continue to collaborate with Delta State Government and other willing institutions and individuals to upscale the non-oil export performance of the state in particular and Nigeria as a whole.
In his speech, the Delta State Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Chika Ossai, who was represented by Patrick Ochei, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, told the youth at the workshop to count themselves as lucky people for being among the participants.