Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says all hands must be on deck to ensure that limitations to product quality and technical barriers to trade were removed.
He also said the market acceptability of made-in-Nigeria products in an increasingly integrated African continent must be improved.
The vice president spoke in Abuja Tuesday at the opening session of the virtual “Open-Day with MSMEs” organised by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
He said: “This is particularly important as we seek to expand our exports to the rest of Africa in the African Continental Free Trade Area, and indeed to the rest of the world,” he said.
He said improving product quality “is integral to market entry and market share”, adding that “our failure to adhere to international standards for product quality will continue to limit the market acceptability of our products and poses the risk of rejection and non-acceptance of ‘Made in Nigeria’ products at home and abroad.”
Osinbajo commended the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo; the Minister of State, Maryam Katagum and the Director-General, SON, Farouk Salim, for their efforts towards facilitating an enabling environment for MSMEs to thrive.
