Attai Audu Jos
Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria has scaled it’s programmes geared toward the people at grassroots as they form the bulk of MSMEs in Nigeria
The Director General of SMEDAN, Olawale Fasanya stated this in Jos on Thursday at a one day staholders dialogue on the Implementation of the National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Policy in Plateau state.
Fasanya in a key note address at stake holders dialogue, said the move would enable small scale business holders, particularly those at rural levels have access to information about its programmes.
According to him, most of theirprogrammes are directed at the grassroots people, as their current survey shows that out of the 39.6 million MSMEs in Nigeria, 96.7 per cent of them are in the informal sector.
”Majority of Nigerians are in that class, and we cannot afford to neglect them.
Fasanya said presently, they have given conditional cash transfer to people at the bottom of pyramid, but lack of adequate information has been a serious issue,”he said.
According to him,Small and Medium Emeterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDEN) is planning to establish Business Information Centres in all the 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria..
Fasanya in a key note address at stake holders dialogue, said the move would enable small scale business holders, particularly those at rural levels have access to information about its programmes.
He added that the move would also deepen the agency’s reach and bring its presence to bear at the rural levels.
”We have a lot of programmes; there are huge funds for people to access but the problem is lack of access to the right information”adding that part of the strategy they want to use to solve this problem is to have business infomation centres across all the local government areas of the federation..
ccording to him, most of its programmes were geared toward the people at grassroot, adding that the grassroots people form the bulk of MSMEs in the country.
”Most of our programmes are directed at the grassroots people, because our current survey shows that out of the 39.6 million MSMEs that we have in Nigeria, 96.7 per cent of them are in the informal sector.
”Majority of Nigerians are in that class, and we cannot afford to neglect them.
He added that the stakeholders dialogue is aimed at getting feedback and suggestions from stakeholders at the state levels, with a view of improving on its intervention
”We are here to harvest inputs from stakeholders, which we believe will assist us to decide on impacful intervention programmes for MSMEs
”We don’t have to assume that we know it all, because it makes it better when you come out like this and hear from the stakeholders
”Things are changing everyday, so this interaction will help us to feel existing gaps, resolve some of the challenges confronting MSMEs and the best way is to hear from the stakeholders,”he said
On his part,GIZ-SEDIN spokesman at the event Akinropo Omoware in his address, said they will work with SMEDAN on issues raised by the Stakeholders at the dialogue, saying it is a partnership.
According to him, together they shall make the country great for everyone.
He noted that the role of SMEDAN here is not humanitarian , but for promoting businesses.
The one day Jos stake holders dialogue was organised by SMEDAN in collaboration with Plateau state micro finance department Agency and with the support of the pro poor growth and promotion of employment in Nigeria Programme- SEDIN.
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