More funding ‘ll boost local patronage of food, clothing – SMEs
Small businesses have appealed for more funding through the Bank of Industry (BoI) to encourage local patronage of Nigerian meals and clothing.
They made the call during the maiden edition of “Naija Flavour”, a programme driven by the Nigerian Tourism Development (NTDC) in collaboration with National Institute for Hospital and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) in attracting domestic and foreign patronage of made in Nigerian meals and clothes.
Musa Mohammed, an exhibitor who spoke to Daily Trust expressed his readiness to produce variety of locally made dresses, but advocate for soft loans with low interest rates in order to achieve the target.
“One thing I observed in Nigeria is that many people are only after designer and foreign brands and ignore locally made dresses which sometimes are cheaper and affordable,” he said.
With this initiative by the NTDC and NIHOTOUR, we have come here to show Nigerians and indeed other foreigners that we produce good local products which are cheaper and Mohhamed said.
The Director General of Nigerian Tourism Development Commission (NTDC), Folorunsho Coker said the ministry of information and culture has an annual calendar and part of the calendar was an instruction that National Institute for Hospital and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) and Nigerian Tourism Development Commission (NTDC) to create an avenue within the domestic tourism agenda to promote one of the medium of cultural expression which is food and beverage.
“The problem affordable, in Nigeria is that we don’t consume what we make, we rather consume what others make which means we are translating our income into the earnings of others. It is a domestic agenda to boost local patronage of Nigerian meals and beverages which will help Nigeria grow a global brand it consumes,” Coker said.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Culture, Grace Isu Gekpe said the ministry introduced a national calendar for domestic activities running from January to December in Abuja in line with presidential directive on domestic consumption.
“We expect that such exhibition where small businesses come here to exhibit their products happen often, and our target in the ministry is to have such activity on a monthly basis. This is a pilot programme and we want to drive it.
“At the end of the event, we should be able to take inventory of business operators and them to Bank of Industry (BOI), to assist them with loans as they earlier appealed, as well the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) for those who want to export their goods,” she noted.