Abia Govt Moves To Save Open Market System

Abia State  Governor, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, has expressed government’s commitment towards saving the open market system from eminent collapse in the state.

The governor stated this recently at Michael Okpara  Auditorium Umuahia, during a workshop organized by Abia State Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises Development and office of the governor (Strategic development communications) in partnership with Nextier Capital Ltd, reaffirming to its revolve towards sustaining the enabling environment already put in place for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) and other businesses to thrive.

Represented by the  Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Investment, Sir Sam Egwu M.C., the governor added that the massive critical infrastructures put in place across the state were all geared towards advancing SMEs and other businesses in the state.

The Governor who lauded the organizers of the workshop, for being proactive, further disclosed that Ariaria International market and Ngwa Road market are undergoing reconstruction to make it 21st Century compliant and enhance the fortunes of Abia traders, artisans, among others.

Ikpeazu who also frowned at multiple taxation in some markets in the state charged traders to insist on paying only levies approved by the state government.

In his words: “Abia State is doing everything within her disposal to reposition artisans and traders through training, retraining, awareness campaign, among others, in order to ensure efficient delivery of goods and services, in the wake of E-commerce”.

Speaking with newsmen, the Permanent Secretary, Abia State Ministry of Small and Medium-scaled Enterprise Development (MSMED), Mr. Nkwachukwu Agomoh revealed that the essence of the workshop co-hosted with the office of the Governor (Strategic Development Communications) in partnership with Nextier Capital Ltd was to inform  key players that the open market system in this part of the world is under attack with  lots of challenges, to proactively reposition critical stakeholders and profer solutions on way forward.

Nkwachukwu who reinstated Abia state government stand against multiple taxation,  called on the people to resist it as it would no longer be tolerated by the state government.

He maintained that the enabling business environment has been put in place to enable businesses in the state to thrive, adding that there is quality security network on ground to protect live and property, as well as the critical infrastructures that have enhanced the fortune of business men/women in the state.

“Investors are trooping into Abia to invest their hard earned money owing to the Infrastructures put in place by the Abia state Governor, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu”, he added.

In his welcome remark, the Senior Special Assistant to the Abia State Governor on Strategic Development Communication, Elder Kennedy Okechukwu Onyenma, noted that the peaceful disposition of Abia State, under Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, informed the decision to bring the workshop, involving other states in South-East Nigeria to Abia.

He applauded Gov. Ikpeazu’s strides in SMEs in Abia as the headquarters of SMEs in Nigeria, adding that the livelihood of artisans/traders has improved under this administration.

He expressed hope that Gov Ikpeazu would give his support to the sustainable solutions to these challenges in Abia markets.

Meanwhile, the founder/principal partner, Nextier Capital Ltd, Mr. Patrick Okigbo III has decried the increased threats facing the open market in Nigeria especially in the Southeast, adding that if not addressed now by critical stakeholders involved, would lead to lost of businesses/jobs, thus; cumminating to the more a suffocating unemployment level in Nigeria.

In his words: “Today, if you want to buy anything, you go to internet, order for what you need and it comes to you. You don’t need to go the market any more to buy almost anything.

If the traders in the open market do not pay attention to these threats, and begin to think on how to deal with it, they will lose their businesses.

We have about 5,000 shps in some of these markets and each shop employs about four persons; directly about 20,000 jobs and multiples of indirect jobs that are dependent of the market.

He cautioned that if nothing is done urgently to save the situation, many businesses would go down the drain and while some would be thrown deeper into poverty.

In his lecture titled; “Fixing the Enterprise Engine: Sustainable solution to challenges in markets in SouthEast Nigeria, the research lead Nextier, Dr Emeka Iloh, described South East Nigeria as a home of enterprise and trade with five of the biggest markets in Nigeria and over 120 big markets, with minimum of 5000 lock up stalls within the region.

Dr Iloh, who further revealed that each of the stalls in the south east markets employs about 10 persons with billions of dollars turnover, annually, urged government at all levels and critical stakeholders to take proactive steps in order not to allow e-commerce to drown lucrative businesses in the zone and send many households down to poverty.

He pointed out the threats facing open market to include: incessant fire outbreak, poor sanitary conditions, the big box retailers like shoprite, market place, Eyimba mall, e-commerce outlets like Konga, Jumia, among others, calling on all stakeholders to rise up to the challenge.

Contributing, the MD/CEO, CheckBest International Ltd, Mr Chiedozie Njoku, opined that government in the region should concentrate only on supervision of markets, creating an enabling business environment and not managing the markets.

Mr Njoku further described Abia as investors haven, urging local and foreign investors to invest in the state.

This, he said, was made possible by the critical infrastructures in Aba and other parts of Abia state, thus, enhancing ease-of-doing businesses in the state.

Leaderships of Aba Chamber of Commerce, Mine and Agriculture (ACCIMA), Umuahia Chamber of Commerce, Mine and Agriculture (UCCIMA) and Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Mine and Agriculture (ECCIMA) were in attendance among other dignitories.