The Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the United Nigeria Airline, Professor Obiora Okonkwo has asked the federal government and the Lagos State government to support and recognise traders in order to enable them to continue creating jobs for the teeming youths and increase their contributions to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Professor Okonkwo stated this while receiving the newly elected Executives of the Ndigboamaka Progressives Market Association (NPMA), on Thursday in Abuja.
He said the NPMA is made up of 58 markets in Lagos State and constitutes about 60 to 70 per cent of Lagos State Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Professor Okonkwo further stated that the NPMA which has trillions of Naira in turnover, also have millions of youth who engage in apprenticeship and mentorship training.
“These people are representing a turnover of trillions of Naira in this our economy, as simple as they may look, they cannot be taken for granted, these people have millions of youths who are engaged in mentorship in different markets in Lagos, they should be recognised.
“Those are going to be our objectives moving forward, they need all the support and they should have more to grow their businesses, the bigger their business becomes, the more trillions of Naira turnover, the more taxes to the nation, the more customs duty and most of them have moved from trading to manufacturing and assembling.
“So, these are not just buy and sell kind of business and the future of a lot of youth are in their hands, those mentees they are mentoring.
“From the record, there are 58 markets that form the membership of Ndigboamaka and this market is predominantly the people of South East origin, and I am aware that you are dishing out the turnover of trillions of Naira in your different business activities and you are engaging millions of people especially youth in different ages.
“So, this is a group that needs every form of our support from the leadership of this country, they need recognition beyond what they have now”, he said.
While commending them for a crisis-free election, the United Nigeria Airlines boss said “It is a great thing of joy that they had a successful election without rancour, nobody is going to court, no fighting, no rigging.
He said the fact that they are all gathered here and they all agreed and conducted the election amicably and peacefully, is a manifestation of unity among them.
“As the National Grand Patron, I did not interfere in the election, I allowed you people to go and choose your leaders”, he added.
“What is next now is to sit down in the next session of the meeting and agree on our working agenda for the next 5 years of their tenure on how to take the organisation to a higher height”, he revealed.
The newly elected President NPMA, Comrade Chinedu Ukatu said his focus for the next 5 years will be to unite the market, address the challenges of multiple taxation and facilitate trade among the traders.
“What we are trying to do is to harmonize how we are going to do our trade, we are having multiple taxations, and we have a lot of challenges in our market.
“What my presidency wants to achieve is to unite the market, unite the traders and facilitate trade”, Comrade Ukatu added.
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