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‘Compliance To Standard, Catalyst For MSMEs’ Growth’

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The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) says micro and small scale entrepreneurs compliance with global standards will accelerate competitiveness, access to new markets and economic growth.
The Director-General of SMEDAN, Dr Dikko Radda, made the assertion during the September Breakfast Meeting of the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC) in Lagos, yesterday.
The theme of the meeting is: “Setting New Standards in Sustainable SME Sector Development in Nigeria”.
Radda said that the ability of Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) to compete in domestic and global markets was a key determinant for growth and job creation should be therefore a political priority for governments of most countries.
He said that the main obstacles faced by MSMEs in international trade were linked to compliance to different regulations and standards applied to products and services.
“Products made to standard can have much more credibility which builds a long-lasting positive reputation that proves vital when moving to international market.
“ISO standards can help small businesses increase their efficiency by helping to drive down costs and save valuable time and money,” Ebuka Ugochukwu, NACC’s Communications Manager, quoted the director-general as saying.
“MSMEs can benefit from the expert knowledge contained in standards and are less likely to make costly mistakes that could spell the difference between success and failure,” Radda said.
He said that to ensure a seamless development of the MSMEs sub-sector in the country, all the challenges confronting the sub- sector must be deliberately and conscientiously addressed.
According to him, policymakers can make standards and regulation work for MSMEs by sensitising them on relevance of standards, and making information on standards and technical regulations accessible to them.
He said that government should also build the capacity of MSMEs to identify and maintain standards in their products and services.
The director-general, who was represented by Mr Monday Ewans, SMEDAN’s Director, Enterprise, Development and Promotion, said that adequate incentives should be provided to drive MSMEs voluntary conformity to standards.
Radda insisted that government should strengthen technical infrastructure.
The President of NACC Chief Oluwatoyin Akomolafe said that MSMEs undergo great level of challenges, failures and subsequent collapse because of inadequate infrastructure and enabling environment to accelerate their growth.
Akomolafe said that these challenges had hindered the transformation of many MSMEs into large scale business enterprises.
He said that the most worrisome among the challenges was the non-availability of funds, adding that most financial institutions see MSMEs as high risk ventures.
Akomolafe said that the chamber would continue to work with MSMEs toward building their capacity though various human capital development initiatives, provision of linkages for possible funding and access to market.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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