Nigerpreneur.com, a non-profit organisation that promotes local content and services, is set to host “MindFest,” festival celebrating made-in-Nigeria entrepreneurs and products.
The festival is also to boost the patronage and global export potential of Nigerian-made goods and services, while addressing a critical gap in the market.
Mr Tito Phillips, the convener of the proposed festival, said this during a business stakeholders’ meeting on entrepreneurship on Thursday in Lagos.
Phillips, also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the group, added that the organisation was committed to encouraging the production of local products.
According to him, the event will also boost Small and Medium Enterprises and encourage more patronage of local content in the country.
“Our programmes and activities have been very encouraging.
“That is why we are holding MindFest, the first Made-in-Nigeria entrepreneurs festival.
“There are so many events that encourage SMEs and entrepreneurship, but very few focus on the fact that Nigerian products need to become globally sold or exported.
“That is what we want to create. We want an event that will celebrate our products and services and encourage them to be exported worldwide,” he stated.
Phillips added that the level of acceptability of the country’s local products was low because they were not celebrated.
“So, what you celebrate, you amplify. The moment you begin to celebrate Made-in-Nigeria products, as we want to do through MindFest, people will begin to know about them,” he added.
According to him, when people begin to know about them, they will be encouraged to patronise them.
He added that only a few Nigerians were showing interest in locally made products.
“Some of us are not putting enough light on our products and services. We are not showcasing them.
“That is why the acceptance is low. If we are showcasing them and encouraging people to patronise them, people will buy.
“All these foreign things are celebrated in their country; that is why we are buying them here, and that is the reason we are holding our first MindFest 2025 to celebrate our own locally made products, to gain more patronage across the country,” he added.
The CEO said that there were partnerships and collaborations between the NGO and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Lagos Inland Revenue, and other stakeholders, to ensure the standard of the products for consumption.
“We brought the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, the Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria, and government regulatory bodies, and we are trying to connect with our markets and tell them that this platform is here to encourage entrepreneurship,” he stated.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that MindFest 2025 has been scheduled for Oct. 16 to Oct. 17.
Various local content and service providers are expected to showcase their products to the public for more awareness and patronage. (NAN)
