The Cross River State Government, through the Tourism and Event Management Department of the Governor’s Office is set to host The first International MSME Expedition In Calabar, tagged TINAPA MSME 2016.
The international MSME Expedition is expected to avail Microfinance Institutions/Banks, Promoters and Managers of SMEs an affordable opportunity to attain international standard trainings, conferencing and tourism as well as award opportunities
The IME program billed to take place in July with four days intensive training sessions on ten different areas including: Agricultural lending, Strategic Marketing, Digital Finance, Micro Housing, Non-oil Sector Strategies, Effective Communication, Greenhouse and renewable energy, and corporate governance.
The fifth day will be the international conference entitled ‘facilitating domestic and international financing for MSMEs in Africa’ is meant to galvanize and refocus the attention of global players and African Leaders; the academia, regulators and philanthropists in particular to “walk the talk” with the regard to financing MSMEs on the continent.
The concluding day of the event in the morning will be the marathon for microfinance in which the Executive Governor is expected to jog with microfinance promoters, practitioners and beneficiaries in company of notable athletes and government officials. The event will come to a close in the evening with dinner, an award and crowning of Miss Microfinance Global Ambassador. The night is meant to recognize African Entrepreneurs making impact in the production and promotion of locally consumed and exported products.
In his reaction, the Governor, Senator (Pro.) Ben Ayade expressed the delight of the state to receive distinguished participants at the MSME 2016. He stated that Cross River State is the home for Africa’s hospitality and indeed the epicenter where the African warmth and embrace is most elaborate. He enjoin the prospective participants to savour the rich cuisine as well as explore the rich endowment of nature in the serene, green and natural environment of Cross River State.
The scheme targets over 5000 (five thousand) participants across the world. According to the National Coordinator, International MSME Expedition (IME), Mr. Godfrey Ajayi Sunday, the program is designed to effectively promote international training on MSME, tourism and conferencing using the state of the arts facilities of the International Convention Center and Tinapa to actively impact the MSMEs in the African continent through the instrumentality of global organizing.
“It is important to mention that the 6-day event, in addition to ensuring international networking and partnerships opportunities for the MSMEs, is designed to face the myriads of problems faced by MSMEs as a result of capacity deficiency, lack of access to finance and unfriendly business environment” Mr. Godfrey Ajayi stated.
During the flag off of the planning ceremony, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Events, Hon. Ken Aklah noted that drawing from experience of 2015 carnival which normally take place in December, the Government of Senator (Prof.) Ben Ayade wants to use the mid-year to draw attention of the world to what is referred to as MSME festival. This years’ event which will be the first will be used to draw the world’s attention to the state of the arts facilities and the hospitality and warmness of the Crossriverians.
