Otti Launches MSME Competitiveness Initiative In Abia

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has launched the Abia State Government – Ethnocentricintrique Limited MSME Competitiveness and Industrial Productivity Program (MCIPP).

This initiative is aimed at strengthening small businesses, enhancing product quality, and promoting local manufacturing.

This launch also introduces MCIPP as a structured intentionally aligned programme, designed to elevate Nigeria’s creative and small business ecosystem through standardised skills development business support services, certification, formalisation, and expanded market access, and would address long standing challenges faced by local artisans and MSMEs, positioning them to compete across Africa and the global market.

Speaking during the launch at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, with the theme “Enhancing MSME Competitiveness and Industrial Productivity for Sustainable Economic Growth in Abia State”, Governor Otti urged manufacturers and consumers to end the practice of branding locally made goods with fake foreign names, saying that the trend suppresses genuine local innovation.

The Governor commended Ethnocentrique Limited for starting the initiative with the MasterCard Foundation before government’s involvement, noting that the proactive effort convinced the State to support the project fully.

He congratulated the 1,000 MSMEs participating in the first phase of the programme, adding that the State planned to scale the figure to 10,000.

He said that an encounter with an Aba shoemaker who branded a locally made shoe with a foreign name, revealed the source of the problem.

The Governor therefore said that the major task was to change the mindset of consumers, traders and manufacturers, so that “Made-in-Abia’’ products would be recognised as original rather than fake.

He further said that efforts had been made to promote Abia’s “Akwete Cloth” fashion line at the UN General Assembly, but warned that counterfeits were already emerging abroad which raises the need for intensive efforts to trademark the product.

Governor Otti, who reaffirmed the State government’s commitment to supporting MSMEs with funding, skills training and structured systems, recalled that Abia State Government provided N1 Billion to nano businesses last year and had made further budgetary allocations for MSMEs this year.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Industry and SMEs, Mazi Mike Akpara said that MCIPP was aimed at expanding business formalisation, skills certification and intellectual property protection across the State.

He disclosed that the programme targets the registration of 4,000 MSMEs through the Corporate Affairs Commission and sectoral regulators to improve access to procurement and national market standards.

He said that the state would also train 100 Business Development Service Providers and produce 1,000 NSQF-certified artisans in garments, footwear, leatherwork and related industries to raise local quality standards and improve employability.

In her address, the Chief Executive of Ethnocentrique Ltd, Mrs Irunna Ejibe, said that MCIPP marks a shift from interventions to a structured industrial ecosystem built on standards, certification and enterprise systems.

She informed the participants that phase one of the new programme includes the certification of 1,000 artisans, development of certified assessors, training of 100 BDSPs, registration of 2,000 businesses, and trademarking of 100 indigenous brands.

She added that the initiative would position Abia to compete in global value chains by aligning local production with internationally recognised standards and certifications.