The governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has stated that his administration is dedicated to the growth of MSMEs in the state through the creation of an industrial park that will give MSMEs the resources they need to flourish and compete with similar businesses throughout the world.
In Edo State, the Small Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) in conjunction with the Ministry of Business, Trade, and Cooperatives (MBTC), Edo State Skills Development Agency (Edojobs), and the Government of Nigeria's Pro-Poor Growth and Promotion of Empowerment in Nigeria-SEDIN Program organised a stakeholder dialogue on the development and implementation of the national MSME policy.
The State Ministry of Business, Trade, and Cooperatives and the State's Skills Development Agency have a productive working relationship, according to Obaseki, who was represented by Commissioner of Trade, Business, and Cooperatives Afishetu Braimoh. This has increased the opportunities for MSMEs to flourish in the State.
He claims that the Edo State Skills Development Agency and the Edo State Ministry of Business, Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives have collaborated to promote the development of MSMEs, giving young people opportunities for skill development and self-employment and facilitating the growth of businesses across various sectors of the state's economy.
The Governor noted that MSMEs continue to be the largest employers of labour and act as the hub for the service and producing sectors, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are the backbone of a successful economy.
He continued by saying that his administration has created efforts and strategies to ensure that MSMEs thrive in the state.
Obaseki urged the MSMEs taking part in the fair to make the most of the chance to showcase their goods, services, and innovations and to use the platform provided to market themselves with the aim of growing their businesses. He added that the Edo State Government has actively facilitated the disbursement of credit facilities to MSMEs across key focus areas in the state.
Earlier, the Commissioner, Business, Trade, and Cooperatives, Afishetu Braimoh, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Efe Iserhienrhien, said, “We are a ministry that appreciates what SMEDAN and GIZ are doing in promoting MSMEs in the State, as the Edo State government is presently developing an MSME policy and we will continue to collaborate with relevant agencies to put Edo MSMEs on the world map.”
In his goodwill message, Markus Wauschkuhn (Head of Programme, GIZ-SEDIN), represented by Akinropo Omoware (GIZ-SEDIN’s Head of Policy), said the Pro-poor Growth and Promotion of Employment in Nigeria-SEDIN Programme (including the Nigeria Competitiveness Project – NICOP, funded by the European Union) is one of GIZ’s programmes in Nigeria.
The programme’s overall objective is to improve the employment and income situation of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
To achieve the overall objective, SEDIN is working with private and public institutions to improve the framework conditions, business enabling environment, and policies favouring MSMEs, employment, and local economic development.
In line with this, the programme has been working with MSME support agencies at the federal and state levels to strengthen Nigeria’s MSME support ecosystem.
Under this partnership, the SEDIN programme is supporting the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to organise stakeholders’ engagement in five SEDIN-supported states to strengthen the collaboration among different actors in the MSME development eco-system in the states and also enhance the implementation of the National MSME Policy in the states.
Mr Onise Lawani, Director of Policy, Planning, and M&E (SMEDAN), who delivered the lecture, stated that the purpose of the Stakeholders Dialogue on MSME Development and Implementation of the National MSME Policy in Edo State was to create awareness and ownership of the National Policy Implementation at the State Level; Provide a platform that will allow for stakeholders’ regular interface towards the implementation of the policy recommendations; and, allow for inputs-harvest by SMEDAN in driving the policy recommendations.
Other notable speakers at the event include the Managing Director, Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO), Mr Kelvin Uwaibi and Segun Majekodunmi, Head of Entrepreneurship, Edo State Skills Development