In a bid to boost trade relations with Nigeria, the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), a governmental agency that supports the business development, partnerships and collaborations between Italian companies and their local counterparts, has launched the first E-Lab Innova in Nigeria.
The E-Lab Innova is an educational training programme for the agri-food sector in Nigeria which will be implemented in collaboration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) alongside other Italian partners, such as Macfrut, a leading exhibition for the agribusiness industry.
The training is aimed at increasing the technical and managerial skills of Nigeria’s agri-food companies in order to support their access to EU markets and foster business partnerships with Italian companies. Participants who were selected with the support of NEPC are CEOs of high-potential companies active in the production of foods such as mango, pineapple, sheanuts and groundnuts.
The programme is scheduled to last for five weeks and will be implemented in three phases: a preliminary assessment to analyse the technical and management training requirements, company potential and profile design; two-week webinar training classes focused on key internalisation topics and a five-day study tour in Italy, which will include Macfrut exhibition.
In his opening remark to flag off the training, the ITA Director for West Africa, Dr. Alessandro Gerbino, said, “Nigeria remains a strategic point for engagement between the agency and other countries across West Africa. The E-Lab Innova holds prospects for Nigerian companies to be imparted on the knowledge and technicalities of their counterparts abroad while also paving the way for collaborations between Italian and Nigerian agribusinesses.
“It is a pleasure to see the collaboration between ITA and NEPC, to develop the capacity of agribusinesses and aid their integration into the value chain of EU markets. We remain committed to supporting the government’s plan to create more jobs through the agrofood industry and ensure that these businesses have the right skills set to grow, sustain their operations and contribute to the growth of Nigeria’s economy,” Dr. Gerbino added.
In her keynote address, Uduak Etokowoh, Deputy Director, International Export Offices, NEPC, said, “the council constantly seeks out collaborations like this to strengthen trade relations across the world. The EU is one of the largest markets for agribusiness. However, challenges such as logistics and inability to meet market needs pose a threat to growth opportunities. In adjusting to the new normal of virtual engagements, we are delighted to partner the ITA to deliver this virtual training in support of wealth creation for the economy and to enhance seamless penetration to EU markets for Nigerian agribusinesses.”
Among 13 agribusinesses that took part in the first training session across Nigeria were United Agro Cooperative Society Limited, Cobrend Trading, and more. The programme will involve nearly 40 Nigerian companies in total. Since the launch of Lab Innova in Africa, over 140 companies across Ghana, Angola, Mozambique, Uganda and Ethiopia have successfully gone through the training programme, with study tours and exhibitions held in Italy.