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By Chinedu James
Local contents and businesses can leverage on the online media space of technology for more effective promotion and development, a concerned stakeholder has advised.
The CEO of 1market.ng, Iheanyichukwu Enyika while speaking in Lagos during the launch of 1market.ng’s online platform said that products in the Nigerian market do not get enough online coverage needed to boost entrepreneurship. the new platform is designed to promote local products and connect global buyers and African suppliers.
Most local products are hardly accessible online despite the growing presence of online media which is one of the reasons why local content promotion has not seen much progress. According to Enyika, the new online platform will further engender development of local content promotion in Nigeria.
Desirous of promoting local content and skill development, the federal government had signed series of executive orders including Executive Order 5 to promote local content and ensure the employment of local skill sets.
Enyika tasked entrepreneurs across the country to maximize the growing capacity of the online media space to grow their businesses.
“Despite the phenomenal global interest in the online media space, it is disappointing that Made-in-Nigeria and Africa products do not have good coverage. It is also frustrating for global and local consumers that these products are hardly accessible online. Where they are accessible, the prices appear prohibitive. This is the gap that 1market is designed to close.
“The platform is basically a virtual market place set up to give a face to the macro and micro producers/business owners, provide opportunity for young aggregators, accelerate the growth of their companies and expand the reach of their medium enterprises by giving them a state-of-the-art platform to showcase and sell their goods at minimal costs,” he stated.
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Enyika was optimistic that the birth of the online platform will massively grow businesses in Nigeria following the success that was recorded during the pre-launch of the platform and advised that others can take a cue from it.
“1market.ng has a mission to become the market leader in online promotion and sales of Made-in-Nigeria products. Our intention is to bring together from all over Nigeria, the manufacturers and distributors of Made-in-Nigeria products in a single platform and allow Nigerians and other international consumers access to these products in large scale and at bulk prices.
“1market.ng, as a Made-in-Nigeria e-Commerce platform, has registered over 170 manufacturers with over 1,700 Products within 2 months of pre-launch. Apart from our strategic relationship with Manufacturers, we have also been certified by Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
“We have put together a team of professionals with vast knowledge and dynamic understanding of e-Commerce industry. We also have other directors with diverse knowledge in finance, law and logistics. We have developed strategic partnerships with some logistics company to facilitate the delivery of goods to buyers,” said Enyika.
1Market is a pioneering business to business (B2B), business to consumer (B2C) online marketplace, specializing in bridging the gap between buyers and Nigerian suppliers as well as creating an accessible ecosystem for showcasing, marketing and selling exclusively Made-in-Nigeria products. The platform serves as a directory resource connecting consumers to Nigeria manufacturers, suppliers and exporters. 1Market have been certified by Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
