FG Partners SMEs On Job Creation

The Federal Government says it is partnering with Small and Medium Scale
Enterprises (SMEs) to boost wealth and create jobs.

Mr Olusegun Aganga, the Minister of Trade and
Investment, announced this at the SME-Live Banking Panel Forum  in Lagos.

Aganga said that the SMEs were the best vehicle for
inclusive growth in any nation’s economy.

“If Nigeria is to achieve a 10 per cent growth rate in
the next decade, it needs a strong micro, small and medium enterprises
sector.’’

The minister said that the government had formulated the
right policies for the sector to achieve sustainable growth.

“Today’s micro-enterprises are inevitably the big
enterprises of tomorrow, and might well become a multinational enterprise
eventually, if given the support in finance and capacity building,’’ he said.

Aganga said that the partnership had reduced the cost of
doing business and tackled the infrastructure challenges facing SME’s.

He stressed that the government was focused on creating
enabling economic environment through sound macro-economic and structural
policies, good infrastructure and fair competition.

He also said that the current administration “is
providing necessary business support services for SME’s including skills
training, trade fairs and exhibitions, product research and development, among
others.’’

Amb. Sandas Robin, the Chief Executive Officer of the
Food Security Education, Environment, Energy and Economies Development said
that the programme provided avenue for entrepreneurs to exploit business
opportunities.

“The main idea of this forum is to expand the ideas of
SMEs in Nigeria and to exploit the global markets for development.

“This is not an event to offer or give grants to
participants.

“It is an avenue for them to network and have a
one-on-one interaction with bankers that can help their businesses,’’ Robin
said.

Mr Duro Kuteyi, the Vice Chairman, National Association
of Small Scale Industries (NASSI), said that the training would enable Nigerian
products to compete favourably at the international markets.

“We need skill development, we need networking, and we
need information to remain relevant in the global economy,’’ he said.

He urged the Federal Government to support the SMEs for
easy access to loans.

He acknowledged that the BOI had been helping SMEs to
design business plans.

Such business plans, he said, had afforded the
entrepreneurs to access loans, which hitherto was a major challenge.

NAN reports that more
than 180 SMEs operators participated in the forum.