*Says military now purchase locally made products

Commissioner for Small, Medium Enterprises and Small Businesses Development in Abia State, Adaku Oseiza, in this interview, explains how the state is making bold statements with small scale enterprises.

By Charles Kumolu, Deputy Editor

What does Abia seek to achieve with Small and Medium Scale Enterprise ,SME,?

The vision of Abia State is to leverage the already skilled labor and the artisans operation in the leather and garment sub-sector to create an SME ecosystem that will improve the quality and volume of products emanating from Aba, otherwise referred to as Eyimba City.

This will make Abia an investment destination for leather and garment products allow us to export top quality products to the rest of the world. Right from the inception of his administration, my governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has made the harnessing and promotion of the productive prowess of the artisans in Aba State one of the cardinal thrusts of his administration.

To what extent has this been realised and what efforts are being made in this regard?

The success has been huge in the areas of goods produced, contribution to GDP and skill acquisition. Our Footwear Academy has recorded over 2,000 enrolments such that last year, some graduates of the academy got an offer to go to Dubai and work and that means the state has become exporters of skilled labour.

Our children now have options of learning how to make shoes and garments; getting certificates for their skills and attracting business interests from outside Nigeria. I think that is very rewarding.

I can recall that Governor Ikpeazu sent 30 shoemakers to China to learn automated shoemaking and upon their return, he procured the automated shoemaking equipment they used while in China and set up the Enyimba Automated Shoe Company ,ENASCO, to engage in machine-driven shoemaking, which was commissioned recently by the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan. On marketing, we have organised fashion shows and trade fairs.

Why does your state often claim to be the SME capital of Nigeria?

That was actually confirmed by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, when he saw that almost 250,000 people are engaged in SME and commended the massive support Abia State government was giving to the sector. We actually earned it and my governor has been doing a lot in this regard.

From the onset, my governor was fully aware that our people could not engage in e-trading and could not market beyond their customers from Togo. He looked at how we can become part of the big leather and garment multi-billion economy of the world. How do we capture the 200 million persons in Nigeria wearing Made in Aba?

As we speak several Africa countries are discussing with us for the production of their police boots and other accoutrements an indication that we have our eyes on the bigger picture and we are not looking back

How huge are the leather and garment factories in Abia and what impact has this made on the economy of the state?

The leather and garment sector in Aba employs over one million persons and it is huge, but government is moving towards automation and better finishing with ENASCO and the garment factory that is also coming. The output will be greater and better.

Your governor recently received awards in the area of SME…

I feel proud that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu won the SME award in Lagos, coming after the 2021MSME award won in Abuja.

READ ALSO: Taskforces hampering ease of doing business in Abia — Ikpeazu

He has been very passionate about SME development with effective strategies. You will recall that last year, my governor enrolled in the Footwear Academy where we have over 2,000 young people who are learning the same thing.

His enrollment is inspiring and it is leadership by example. He has also taken his training in shoemaking seriously such that he recently displayed some of the shoes he made following his training at the centre. This will motivate the younger generation to develop interest in artisanship and become self-reliant.

Beyond the production, he has also been addressing the marketing side of it, and that was how my governor became the brand ambassador of Made in Aba. He rocks our brown desert boots, just as he wears and promotes Made in Aba outfits. He took some to the National Assembly and the Presidency. He took it to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The culmination of our efforts was the day the Nigerian military placed an order for 50,000 military boots and if you calculate 10,000 per person multiplied by 50,000, you know how much it impacted the common shoemaker in Aba. The quality of shoes coming from Aba today will compare to the imported ones. We have bright prospects of doing the same thing for the police.

What are some of the challenges to SME development?

The problems militating against SME development in Abia as identified in 2015 were lack of steady power, poor access to funding, poor access to market and capacity building and automation.

In 2019, government collaborated with the Federal Government and established Ariria Independent Power Plant and we are supporting Geometric power for more options and wider coverage. So we are sorting out power issue.

In terms of access to funding, the state government is aggregating the artisans into co-operatives so they can access funds from the Bank of Industry (BOI) and the likes. Abia has established an SME Bank just to support SMEs. My governor insisted that for the sake of our poor people, the shoemakers, for the sake of the SME we are promoting, we should have a place they can go and borrow money to develop their businesses. Some people need ₦50,000, some need ₦150,000, some ₦200,000, I can tell you that not everybody needs the millions we are talking about.

What impact do you want to make in the ministry in view of its central position in the agenda of the state government?

Aside from ensuring they get opportunities for more training that would enable them to improve on the quality of their output, I would like to ensure that our SME’s have better opportunities to access funds that can help grow their existing businesses, start up new ones and assist the failed businesses.

I would like to see that they have access to global markets through an upcoming platform we are coming up with. Stay tuned on this. We are currently migrating information to our website where the world can see the database of our registered SMEs and making the process easier for them. That way they get more opportunities.

Also, my Ministry is currently carrying out entrepreneurship and training and empowerment programmes to promote SMEs in all the 17 local governments of the state in the areas of Leather Works, Hair Dressing, Photography, GSM Repairs and Tiling etc. The programme being held in conjunction with the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria ,SMEDAN, took off at the Obingwa Local Government Area is designed to encourage young business owners with management skills for sustainability and provide loan support.

Give us an insight into your background…

I am from a humble background. My father is a professor in NDA, retired but on extension, while my mum retired from the American Embassy, Abuja. I have just one sibling and we were raised to fear and serve God.

I was born in Kano, grew up in Kaduna and graduated with a BSc. Business Administration from university education at the Bayero University Kano, MBA from the Business School Netherlands. I also attended leadership and strategy courses at Harvard University, Boston amongst several other professional courses. I also attended two Etiquette schools. The Protocol School of Washington for corporate Etiquette and international protocol consultant and then the International Etiquette and Protocol Academy of London for social Etiquette and finishing school. I started my career as a banker for about four years, after that, I worked with the American Embassy for 11 years at the Consular Section. Then I resigned and joined politics in Abia State.

How would you describe your worldview, lifestyle, family values?

The world has evolved from what I used to know while growing up. There is so much insecurity and distrust for one another. People are no longer their brother’s keepers. There is no longer communal living; neighbours hardly know one another and it’s gradually becoming lonely for many people and it is very sad.

My lifestyle is simple. I stay focused on the things I consider very important to me and I don’t get distracted, and I let go of the things that no longer matter to me. I move on easily. I always pray and ask God for direction in every step I want to take. I work hard but I love to sing and dance. I also like to impart lives as much as I can through my foundation.

The family is the first assignment God has given us and we will account for how we handled this assignment. Work and money must not take the place of your family and our parental responsibilities. We must raise a family that will not become a moral burden to our society at large.

VANGUARD NEWS NIGERIA