The Special Adviser to Abia State Governor on Trade, Commerce and Industry, Chief Nwaka Inem, says the State Government is working towards modernizing all markets in the State for convenience, increased patronage and profitability.
Chief Nwaka Inem who was addressing Traders at the Aba North Industrial Market Shoe Plaza when a Team from the State Government including the Principal Secretary and Chief Strategist to the State Government, Mr. Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Energy, Mr Kachi Etoluo, conducted a Delegation from the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, round the Aba North Industrial Market Shoe Plaza.
Chief Inem said Governor Otti is intentional in making sure Traders in the State operate in a seamless environment and assured leadership of the Market that the State Government is collaborating with the UNDP to address their power challenge and problem of sourcing raw materials.
Addressing the traders after they were conducted round the Shoe Plaza, the UNDP Team Leader, Mr. Innocent Ejolu who expressed amazement with the ingenuity and craftsmanship of artisans at the market described the market as a big opportunity to deal with the question of Job for teaming Young Nigerians.
He said that his Team is encouraged by the Industrious nature of men and women in the Market and assured that they will work towards finding solution to create value for the efforts of the Artisans.
Presenting their Challenges to the Delegation, the Chairman, Aba North Industrial Market Shoe Plaza, Mr. Nzekwe Martins, appealed to the UNDP Team to assist them solve the problem of Erosion ravaging the market, financial support for their members, address the issue of raw materials which they buy from Importers at higher prices as well as high cost of electricity.
Speaking with newsmen, the President of Leather Market Manufacturers Association of Abia State, Deacon Confidence Nwaobilor, said that the Association has a pilot Data of 16,560 Artisans as of 2013 and called for assistance towards updating the DATA which he noted has not been updated for the past 12 years as this will help them form basis for their statistical indices.
Our correspondent reports that other Places visited by the Delegation include Geometric Power Aba, Rosies Textiles Mills Limited, Enyimba Hotels and the Abia State Export Growth Laboratory under construction at Premises of the Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba.
