Export of Edo Products: ESIPO, BENCIMA strengthen collaboration – Nigerian Observer
BENIN CITY – The Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO) is working to strengthen collaboration with the Benin Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BENCCIMA) to promote export of Edo products to international market, taking advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Zones Areas.
A fallout of a strategic meeting with members of BENCCIMA in Benin City recently was to see how to position the chambers to further strengthen businesses in the state.
Expressing the readiness of ESIPO to support businesses in the state to thrive better, the Managing Director, Mr. Kelvin Uwaibi emphasised the need to position BENCCIMA so as to enable businesses to continually interact in order to get the needed support, especially now that the state government is working hard to attract more businesses to the state, adding that BENCIMA, as one of the oldest chambers in the country is required to be more active now than ever.
According to him, ”
“BENCCIMA is one of the oldest chambers in the country. For that reason, we need to look at how it can continually support businesses also, especially as the state is presently working hard to see businesses thrive better.
“We want to see how to increase export in the state because export is key for us.
“We are talking with the African Continental Free Trade Areas (ACFTA) secretariat. We have also planned a webinar on digital economy which is coming up on September 15, 2021.
“All these are to see how businesses in Edo can be more visible.
“In doing that, products that are exportable from Edo State, like palm oil, cashew, cassava, rice and others will bring good returns,” he added.
On the need to make BENCCIMA more attractive, Uwaibi suggested the need to put on ground a befitting secretariat in the state that will attract the attention of all businesses.
He said that the state is taking tourism and entertainment seriously, noting that “We are taking tourism and entertainment very seriously. That is why you see Mr. Governor talking and working towards the construction of a new museum.
“This is one very key project for us because, those involved in tourism want to come and see probably what they have not seen before.”
Appreciating the effort of ESIPO in trying to make businesses thrive better in the state, the President of BENCCIMA, Pharm.(Mrs.) Aina Omo-geone noted that BENCCIMA is pulling all her weight to strengthen the collaboration in order to make things happen.
She added that on the forth coming Edo Trade Fair which is proposed to hold in November 17- 18, BENCCIMA was working towards collaboration with ESIPO, Edojobs, Nigeria Export Promotion Council among others to explore the available avenues to achieve a huge success for businesses in the state.
According to her, the trade fair would feature among other things, NACCIMA Council meeting where delegates from 36 states and Abuja are expected to be in attendance; data capturing of unemployed youths and award of excellence to some Edo indigenes in diaspora which is strategically thought out to be able to attracts them to come and invest at home.
She said that “we are already discussing with some of the Edos in United States who have shown interest in investing in palm oil, cashew, cassava, rice and dairy.
“We are happy to strengthen these collaborations in order to promote our businesses,” she added.
The meeting was attended by the Managing Director of ESIPO, Mr. Kelvin Uwaibi; the president of BENCCIMA, Pharm. (Mrs.) Aina Omo-geone; The Director General BENCCIMA, Imahigruhe John Yesufu and Abdullah Abdul-kadir, Investment Promotion and global Outreaches, ESIPO.
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