Divisional Managing Director. Red Star Freight, Tonye Preghafi, making his presentation to the SMEs represented at the NASSI Trade Fair, held in Lagos, last Friday
The Divisional Managing Director, Red Star Freight Limited, Tonye Preghafi, has urged Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to focus on making sure that the quality of their products must be to the required standards in order for them to reach as many markets as desired. He mentioned in his presentation at the recently-held MSME Trade Fair organized by the Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI).
In his presentation titled ‘MSMEs As Catalyst to Nigeria’s Export Promotion Agenda’, Tonye highlighted quality as one of four factors which will enhance global participation for MSMEs in Nigeria. “Your products must be of the right quality because once people will pay for quality. The moment they realize that your offerings are not good enough or lack the required quality, they will move on to the products that have the required quality” he stated. Other factors include Product Branding, Market Research, and Knowledge of the Competition.
Tonye also spoke on the challenges affecting MSMEs in Nigeria, highlighting Access-To-Market as a major challenge. “The international market is very challenging due to variety of potential differences in culture, political and economic environments and regulations between domestic market and international markets” he mentioned. “The Logistics Industry, therefore, is the necessary support that these businesses need to be successful despite these conditions. Logistics involves far more than just moving and delivering goods; it also comprises of Inventory planning and management, Order processing, Warehousing, Packaging as well as Transportation”. He added that these functions make Logistics Companies, such as Red Star Express Plc, ideal partners for MSMEs.
The NASSI MSME Trade Fair was a four-day event which ran from Thursday 17th May to Sunday 20th May, 2018 at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Government Secretariat in Lagos. It featured speakers from organizations such as the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Lagos State Empowerment Trust Fund (LSTEF), Standards Organisation of Nigeria SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), as well as Red Star Express Plc.