ILO, UNIDO train 50 MSMEs for export market

By Esther Chukwu

Over 50 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are currently being trained to improve their businesses as well as to scale up and explore the foreign market by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation(UNIDO) and UN Women.

The Chief Technical Adviser for UNIDO, Jarl M. Hansstein, said the training aims to help them expand their present market.

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“This project also aims at possible exports across countries. I know that few of them do that but we want more MSMEs to explore foreign markets as well as the Nigerian market,” he said.

The Employment and Migration Officer of ILO, Mr Dino Corell, added that the training is one of the intervention areas under the overall project: “Strengthening the capacity of local MSMEs/ manufacturers to produce high quality Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other healthcare products.

“The Start, ImproveÅ your Business (SIYB) training of entrepreneurs focuses on starting and improving small businesses as a strategy for creating more and better employment for women and men,” Corell said.

Representative of the UN Women, Patience Ekeoba, further said the training is to promote enhanced participation of women- owned and youth- led businesses/ MSMEs in the local production and supply of high quality healthcare products.

One of the participants specialised in making hand sanitisers and hand wash, Tofi Sewuese, said the training will empower her to know how to move her business forward, expand and learn how to distribute her products to a larger market.