The Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, has reiterated his commitment to youth and business empowerment as he organized a free trade fair for no fewer than 100 agri-business entrepreneurs in Ogun State.
The three-day event tagged “MSME As A Catalyst for Economic Growth” was held in Ota, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area, and facilitated by the senator in collaboration with the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, Enugu State.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the trade fair, Adeola, represented by the Chairman of the Ogun State Agricultural Cooperative and Multipurpose Agency, Waliu Taiwo, said the initiative was aimed at exposing agri-business owners to wider marketing opportunities and practical strategies for product visibility.
He said, “This trade fair was organized to give our people in agri-business the platform to showcase their creativity and innovation. It is also to help them gain practical knowledge on how to expand their markets, not just locally but globally.”
Adeola emphasized the importance of digital marketing for modern entrepreneurs, urging participants to embrace online business techniques. “The world has gone digital, and our entrepreneurs must learn to use digital tools to market their products effectively,” he added.
He commended the quality of agricultural products displayed at the fair, describing them as proof that Ogun West entrepreneurs are contributing to food security and economic diversification. “I am impressed with the quality and creativity in the products exhibited here today. What I have seen gives hope that with the right support, Ogun West can become a hub for agro-processing and export,” he said.
The senator assured that similar empowerment programs and trade fairs would continue to be organized to strengthen the capacity of small and medium-scale enterprises in the district. “We will not stop here. This is just the beginning. More empowerment schemes and trade fairs will come to help our people grow their businesses and reach international markets,” Adeola promised.
In his remark, the Coordinator of the Trade Fair, Mr. Babatunde Osho, said the fair was designed to enhance the business skills and marketing capacity of agri-entrepreneurs in the state. “This platform was created to help our entrepreneurs learn, exhibit, and network. We believe that what they have learned during these three days will help them scale up their businesses,” Osho said.
He urged the participants to make use of the new ideas and insights gained from the training sessions. “It will be meaningless if the lessons end here. They should go back and apply these ideas to improve their businesses,” he added.
Adeola also encouraged the entrepreneurs to apply the guidance received from government agencies such as the Ogun State Internal Revenue Service and other regulatory bodies during the fair, noting that understanding such processes was key to business growth and sustainability.
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