The Small and Medium En
terprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has called on the Federal Government to provide adequate intervention fund for the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
The Director-General of SMEDAN, Alhaji Bature Masari, made the call at a news forum in Abuja on Sunday.
“A huge amount of money is definitely needed for the millions of unemployed Nigerians, both graduates and the illiterates to be able to get employment in the MSME sector,’’ he said.
He said proper funding of MSMEs was the only avenue to tackle unemployment in the country.
Masari explained that with adequate funding, SMEDAN would achieve its objectives, especially now that the present administration had promised to tackle the issue of unemployment.
The agency’s mandate, according to its enabling Act of 2003, includes initiation and articulation of policy ideas for micro, small and medium enterprises growth and development nationwide.
“We are already working hard to see that MSMEs in Nigeria are properly positioned to provide effective service to Nigerians.
“Through MSMEs, the agency will be able to provide employment opportunities to ensure there is poverty reduction in the country.
“This will also ensure that crimes associated with unemployment and poverty is properly and drastically eradicated,’’ he said.
Masari said the agency was using the state and donor offices to identify Nigerians willing to go into enterprises creation and development.
“That is the only way to provide employment in Nigeria, because no government in the world has been able to provide employment for its teeming populace without employing the services of MSMEs.
“It is only in entrepreneurship that you have abundant employment opportunities.
“The millions of unemployed graduates in Nigeria and other illiterates and semi illiterates who are yeaning for employment have opportunities in the MSMEs sector.
“There are opportunities in Nigeria in every locality you go to in Nigeria; we have abundant opportunities,’’ he said.
The director, however, called on the government to beef up its intervention.
According to him, the agency has undertaken product identification in every local government area in Nigeria.
“We conducted a survey in every local government, where we brought major stakeholders in every local government and were able to select products that were mass produced and have a very long value chain.
“This will help Nigerians to key into the various value chains of the product in their locality.
“It will help them set up enterprises that will provide employment to them and people who may not be able to access funds for the establishment of enterprises,’’ Masari said.
He said the agency also provided linkages to sources of finance for Nigerians to be able to set up their enterprises.