The Honourable Commissioner for Industry and MSMEs, Mazi Michael Enyinnaya Akpara, emphasized the importance of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for sustainable growth and development of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Abia State.
This was at a public function organized by the Ethnocentrique limited recently at the GIA event center, Aba,
In his speech, dubbed “Public-Private Partnership for Skills and MSME Development: The Fashion Future Program Experience in Abia State,”
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the bedrock of any thriving economy. In Abia State, they are not just businesses they are lifelines, dreams, and in legacies, he opined.
He, however, reiterated that MSMEs need more than capital; they need skills, networks, and the right environment to grow.
He commended the Abia State Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, Dr Alex Chioma Otti OFR, for deliberately prioritizing partnerships with the private sector.
In his words, “Allow me to highlight the Fashion Future program (FFP) a shining example of what collaboration can achieve in our dear State”.
* Skills acquisition can be driven by real industry needs, not just theoretical models.
* Entrepreneurship development can be tailored to our local realities from Garment makers at Ngwa Road to Shoemakers at Ariaria market.
* Access to markets can be expanded when private sector partners bring in their expertise, technology, and networks.
* Capacity building for MSMEs can be scaled when training institutions, industries, and government agencies align their efforts.
Speaking further, he said that the FFP has supported the training of 2000 young entrepreneurs in the Garment and Leather value chains.
The program has also supported 2000 MSMEs by facilitating Access to Market, Access to Finance and intellectual Property Rights Protection for them within 10;months in Abia state.
But beyond numbers, FFP has reignited a spirit of innovation, resilience, and collaboration among our youth and entrepreneurs.
In his closing remarks, he assured that Abia’s future lies not in isolated efforts, but in partnerships. Not in promises alone, but in action.
“Together, public and private hands can mould a stronger, smarter, and more sustainable Abia State. Together, we all can build a future where skills and MSMEs are the engines of our prosperity” he said.
