The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) has launched E-Lab Innova in Nigeria. It is a government agency that supports business collaborations, partnerships, and development between Italian companies and other local collaborators.
The E-Lab Innova is an educational training program that emphasizes the agri-food industry in Nigeria that is aimed at associating with the Nigerian Export Promotion Commission (NEPC) with other Italian collaborators like MACFRUT, a leading agribusiness sector exhibition. The training aims at enhancing the managerial and technical skills of Nigerian agri-food companies supporting their access to the European Union markets and develop business collaboration with Italian companies.
NEPC helped in the selection of the participants which includes CEOs of prominent companies active in food products such as shea nuts, mango, pineapple, and groundnuts.
The program is planned to last for 5 weeks and will be carried out in three stages: a preliminary assessment to analyze the management and technical training requirements, company profile design and potential; 2-week webinar training classes focused on key internalization topics and a 5-days study tour in Italy, which will include Macfrut exhibition.
Dr. Alessandro Gerbino, the Italian Trade Agency Director for West Africa at the opening ceremony to launch the start of the training said: “Nigeria remains a strategic point for engagement between the agency and other West African countries.
“The E-Lab Innova holds prospects for Nigerian companies to be imparted on the knowledge and technicalities of their counterparts abroad whilst also paving the way for collaborations between Italian and Nigerian agribusinesses.”
Director, International Export Offices, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Uduak Etokowoh said: “The council constantly seeks out collaborations like this to strengthen trade relations across the world.
“The European Union (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 extremely delighted to partner the ITA to deliver this virtual training in support of wealth creation for the economy and to enhance seamless penetration to the EU markets for Nigerian agribusinesses”.
13 Nigerian agribusinesses took part in the first training session which includes the United Agro Cooperative Society of Nigeria, Cobrend Trading among others. The program will be designed for about 40 Nigerian companies.
Since the launch of Lab Innova in Africa, over 140 companies across Ghana, Angola, Mozambique, Uganda, and Ethiopia have successfully gone through the training program with study tours and exhibitions in Italy.
