The National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME) on Friday in Abuja solicited the support of advertising practitioners to grow their businesses.
The National President of NASME, Dr. Adbulrashid Yerima made the appeal when he led council members of the association to visit the Registrar/CEO Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo.
Yerima said the appeal was necessitated by the need to boost competitiveness among SMEs operators in Nigeria and promote their access to market.
According to him, we are talking about support in terms of promoting competitiveness.
“This is critical in enabling our members have what it takes to produce quality products and develop standard in operating procedure for their own products, operations and activities.
“The support is important to enable SMEs produce products that can compete favourably in the global market,’’ Yerima said
He expressed worry that some SMEs operators still lacked access to the market due to inability to become competitive.
“Some of them don’t even have the awareness and the benefits of the market, so, lack of that competitiveness is that barrier to access to market.
“We need to prepare the MSMEs to compete favourably in both Local and International markets and we need to promote that readiness to access the markets so that they can grow,’’ Yerima said.
Responding, Fadolapo expressed APCON’s readiness to support the development and growth of SMEs in the country.
According to him, APCON is very much interested in the skills acquisition for SMEs because of the strategic role of the sector to the economy.
“This will position SMEs in the product competitiveness using marketing strategy.
“I pledge the commitment to partner with NASME to organise skills development programme where the core professionals in the field of marketing and marketing management will be engaged,’’ he said.
Report that a working group was set up, comprising Mr Chukwudi Ezeaba, Head, Legal/Executive Assistant, Registrar/Chief Executive, APCON, and Mr. Eke Ubiji, Executive Secretary, NASME.
Also appointed into the working group is Prince Ayodeji Ajisefenni, Zonal Vice President, North Central, NASME.