Delta Government, Partners Hold Summit, Fair To Build Capacity of Informal Sector

The Office of the Special Adviser to the Delta State Governor on Trade and Export, in collaboration with the UK International Development Agency and African Women Power Network, has organized a two – day EcoAction Summit and Fair aimed at empowering the informal sector actors.

The event, which took place in Asaba, attracted participants from the 25 local government areas drawn from organized groups, including NACCIMA, DACCIMA, the Women Chambers of Commerce, Delta State Export Group, and those passionate about their works, among others.

Addressing the participants, the Special Adviser, Mrs Shimitte Love, said the essence of the programme was to prepare Delta entrepreneurs to have their products ready for both local and export markets.

Mrs Love said the target was to ensure that entrepreneurs could easily represent themselves and their products, adding that they should be able to say the name of the products, identify their target markets, the retail and wholesale prices of their products, the discounts buyers should expect for bulk purchases, their current clients and plans to win more.

The Special Adviser revealed that the funding of the programme came largely from outside of the state because the partners were satisfied with the content of what her office was doing, which she maintained was sellable, and decided to invest in it.

She said more partnerships were being expected because the programs of her office were sustainable and commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for creating the enabling environment for trade and export activities to thrive in the state.

Also speaking, one of the partners, Mary Olushoga, of the African Women Power Network, said her organisation picked interest in the program because it believed that empowering the informal sector should not be restricted to Lagos and Abuja.

Olusoga pointed out that she had known Mrs Love for so many years and was satisfied with the progress her office had made in driving trade and export in Delta State, adding that the state was youthful, hence the partnership which was key to moving the country forward.

In their goodwill messages, the State Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr Sony Ekedayen, Humanitarian Affairs, Community Support Services and Girl Child Development, Orode Uduaghan and the Chief Job Creation Officer, Comrade Ifeanyi Egwunyenga, commended the organizers and urged the participants to take the program seriously to be able to benefit from the entrepreneurship development initiatives of the Oborevwori administration.