A technician fixes a power supply cable on a pole in Ilupeju district of Lagos, on September 8, 2020. – The Nigerian government has dumped a decade-long pricing regime for petrol and electricity allowing marketers to fix prices resulting in anger and tension in the oil-rich Africa’s most populous country of 200 million people. (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP)
Regulatory issues, lack of power supply, multiple taxation, and other challenges have been identified as factors killing efforts of young entrepreneurs and the manufacturing sector from thriving in the country.
The President, Lagos Chamber and Commerce Industry (LCCI), Mrs. Toki Mabogunje, disclosing this during the grand launch of Semsey Cosmetics Manufacturing Hub, in Lagos, said notwithstanding the challenges the environment presents, the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) would thrive.
Represented by the Head of Business Education Service Training (BEST) unit of LCCI, Mrs. Foluke Oloniyo, Mabogunje, who commended the firm for its efforts in the cosmetics value chain, said the hub would help many other manufacturers overcome its teething problems.
The Founder and Chief Executive of the firm, Mrs. Tunbosun Afolayan, who also lamented that the SMEs are faced with many challenges, especially certification by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), called for the proper regulation of the cosmetics sector to enable Nigerian products to compete favourably in the international market, earn foreign exchange and grow the economy.
“The Nigerian small scale business landscape is very interesting and one of the major challenges SMEs face is crossing the NAFDAC hurdle, so regulatory wise, it is a huge step for every business. This is why you’ll see that see most beauty businesses in Nigeria are not registered or certified.
“The hub is to help SMEs in cosmetics businesses with their production. It is a place where they can come in; use our standard equipment instead of doing the production in their kitchens. Also, we will assist them through the process of getting NAFDAC done via our contract manufacturing services.”
Speaking on raw material sourcing, Afolayan said the firm would deal with locally farmed produce to manufacture the cosmetics line.
“What drives me is to make Nigerians know what it means to be natural skinned, the word has been wrongly used because most of these so-called natural products tend to bleach or lighten the Nigerian skin. Source tracing of the product you are buying is very important.”
