– As company holds Trade Partners Conference
It was celebration galore at the conference hall of De-Renaissance Hotel, Ikeja, when SKG Pharma Limited, a leading pharmaceutical company in the country, hosted its partners across the country, and distributed four brand new Hyundai cars, generators, television sets and other valuable gifts among them.
Speaking at the event, SKG’s Managing Director, Okey Akpa, thanked the trade partners for their years of patronage which, he said, had seen them and SKG grow consistently.
The SKG boss added that the conference was a “family meeting” which would enable the company and its partners to share ideas that would lead to enhanced relationship.
“The motive behind the conference is to appreciate our trade partners who are truly our very vital link to reach the final consumers and also to receive some quality feedback from them about the factors that are affecting the business and to share the business plan for the New Year with them as partners,” Akpa said.
He further stated that holding such a grand event at such a difficult time in the country’s economic history was a way of showing the company’s commitment to good customer relations.
“We all know that things are hard in the country, but despite that, customer appreciation and relationship is needed the most in order to help the business. This is a time we should talk more, learn more and hear more from them. It is much more difficult to serve customers now, but whatever money we spend now is money well spent,” he said.
Akpa also noted that the current economic challenges affecting the country are inevitable side-effects of the fundamental policy decisions being taken to transform the country, adding that with the level of sincerity, commitment and dedication on the part of the government, the situation would soon change for the better.
However, Akpa who is also chairman of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN), as well as president, West African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (WAPMA), appealed to the federal government to focus on local drug manufacturing as an avenue to improve Nigeria’s degenerating health care sector, noting that local manufacturing remains one way through which fake drugs can be stamped out of the country.
“The pharmaceutical industry is going through a lot of challenges due to the economic situation in the country but not enough to make us misplace our priority, which is manufacturing quality products that will benefit our partners and consumers from across the country,” Akpa emphasised.
Also speaking at the conference, the guest speaker, Mr Augustine Edet, founder of Savvi Advisory Services, enlightened the distributors on how entrepreneurs can grow their businesses to profitability despite economic challenges.
Edet, who spoke on the topic, “Sustaining Business Enterprises in Turbulent Times”, challenged the distributors on the necessity of planning for turbulent periods in their businesses by devising the right approaches to overcoming the situation, citing it as a major strategy for running a successful business.
He also counseled them on the need to keep away from business pitfalls, such as unnecessary price reduction, allowing too much credit facility, allowing emotion to take over business transactions and extravagant spending.
The highpoint of the event was the raffle draw which saw Mr Chizoba Okeke of Jonaco Pharmacy Limited, Onitsha; Mrs Edith Nwachukwu of Audion Pharmacy Limited, Lagos; Mrs Tina Obiakor of Canez Healthcare Limited and Mrs Oby Ibeh Okpareke of Simba Pharmacy Limited winning brand new cars, while others won other consolation gifts.
Aside the raffle draw, there was also presentation of awards and gifts to deserving distributors in various categories. In the national category, Jonaco Pharmacy, Aba, Abia State, emerged national winner for the second consecutive time after winning it last year, while Simba Pharmacy and Audion Pharmacy came second and third respectively.
The distributors, who were obviously delighted by the company’s initiative, took turns to testify to the quality of SKG products, as well as its relationship with its partners.
Pharm. Nwachukwu of Audion Pharmacy said SKG’s partnership with its numerous distributors had been a profitable partnership as their businesses had grown over the years. She also appreciated the company for its innovative products which she said had made it one of the leading pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in Nigeria.
Speaking in the same vein, Mr Okeke of Jonaco Pharmacy, thanked SKG Pharma for helping him to grow his business and promised to remain committed to the company as he lifted his trophy.
While appreciating the distributors for a successful financial year 2015, and the successful outcome of the conference, Mrs Pat Iloba, SKG Pharma’s general manager (Sales and Customer Care) described the conference as extremely successful and highly rewarding to both the company and the distributors. She also thanked the distributors for their efforts and commitment to the company’s drive towards delivery of quality pharmaceuticals to Nigerians.
