From Olanrewaju Adesanya
The Market Trader Association of Nigeria (MATAN) has urged all traders to leverage on the wide opportunities inherent in association,for their individual economic upliftment.
National President of MATAN Hon. Jamilu Abbas, who led the body’s national delegation at the inauguration of Lagos State Caretaker committee gave the charge to members present.
“MATAN is geared towards uplifting the common traders to be superior traders in advance that is the first priority, we have our targets to try to make sure that all the young traders grow in time.
“It is also an attempt to find a solution to the economic problems that we are facing now,without business there would be no country.
“Common traders in the rural areas who don’t have a trade, but are farmers producing something, we will try to train them on how to produce and process and sell at the same time.
“MATAN is also sensitizing traders to leverage on existing opportunities for them to have a better deal. Training them to know how to uplift their business from small scale to larger ones.” Said Abbas.
Abbas in company of the MATAN Board of Trustee Chairman, Mohammed Labaran and Mr. Olakunle Moses Johnson MATAN National Secretary, handed the association’s constitution to the newly inaugurated caretaker committee Chairman, Alhaji Awusinu Moshood.
Labaran who gave a brief history of the association cited the great impact and role played by late Iyaloja General, Madam Abibatu Magaji, with whom he noted MATAN idea was conceptualized.
He added that the association, affords traders all over Nigeria the benefits of harnessing the diverse commercial potentials, available in the market chain that will evolve owing to MATAN existence.
According to Labaran MATAN targets registering up to 40million traders across Nigeria soonest.
In his acceptance speech Awusinu, the new MATAN Lagos caretaker committee Chairman, counseled members of his committee and others to abide by the dictates of the constitution,so as not flout the rules.
He is to pilot the affairs of MATAN Lagos for six months.
MATAN members drawn from various parts of Lagos State were in attendance.