A group of young professionals of the Niger Delta extraction have vowed to champion a new narrative towards stimulating the growth of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, MSME in the region.
To that end, they have concluded plans to host what is described as the biggest MSME Summit in the Niger Delta Region scheduled to hold on Friday, 12 February 2021 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The event was earlier planned for March 2020 but was postponed due to the ravaging coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt, Chairman of Nigerian Young Professionals Forum, NYPF, and Former Governorship Candidate in Bayelsa State, Moses Siloko Siasia, said a team of young people with futuristic thinking has been put together for the summit. The theme of the event is: Stimulating MSME Growth Beyond Oil.
Siasia said the summit will host over 300 carefully selected MSME /small business owners across all the states in the region who will attend in person, while others will join the conference virtually, in conformity with the COVI9-19 preventive guidelines and protocols.
On the essence of the Summit, Siasia noted that, amongst other things, the Summit is meant to help generate a database of all the existing MSME is the region while galvanizing stakeholders buy-in for the strengthening of businesses operating in the Niger Delta region towards the establishment of a yet to be named framework to facilitate the sustainable growth of small businesses.
Speaking further, Siasia said, “the only hope for the region right now is to encourage those doing meaningful businesses”. He lamented that society has neglected productivity for too long. Also, he said more and more people of good character and competence should be encouraged to emerge in the region and in which case young people with great ideas and skills can be enabled by the various governments of the region and the Multinational Oil Companies operating within the region. This, he said, will further enhance the region’s productive capacity to be competitive and to develop.
He further regretted that some leaders in the region have not done the needful towards galvanizing the energy and idealism of the teeming young population towards more productive ventures. Siasia said the Summit will be attended by young business owners between the ages of 18 and 45, saying it will be a day Summit including product showcase, main-stage keynotes, interactive master sessions, style breakouts, business to business meetings, mentoring sessions, and networking opportunities among others.
Vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and the Deputy Senate President Senator Ovie Omo-Agege are expected at the Summit while the Governor of Rivers State, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, is the Chief Host while Engr. Simi Wabote, Executive Secretary Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board NCDMB will feature as Guest Speaker. Other dignitaries are Interim Administrator of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC Mr. Effiong Akwa, and some Federal Ministers, Chairmen, and Executive Directors of government parastatals.
