Business
How SMEDAN Prevents Collapse Of SMEs – DG
L-R: Senate President Bukola Saraki, Senator Ali Ndume and Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, addressing Internally Displaced Persons (idps), during their visit to idps camp in Maiduguri, recently.
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) says it provides the needed development services for business stakeholders to ensure that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) do not collapse.
Alhaji Bature Masari, Director-General, SMEDAN, said this in Abuja at news forum, yesterday.
Masari said the agency had established offices across the country to monitor, evaluate and provide guidance to small and medium enterprises for better performance.
“We make sure that our offices are functional; we are interacting with individuals and groups, with a view to ensuring that whoever that is able to access any intervention funds utilises it properly.
“We are there to facilitate access to finance after identifying individuals and their groups that are willing to set up micro, small and medium enterprises.
“SMEDAN ensures round the clock monitoring and evaluation of their performance with a view to providing guidance needed to reduce the incidence of failure of enterprises shortly after establishment.
“We also ensure sustainability in SMEs development in every state and local government, which is the reason behind its establishment,’’ he said.
Masari said the agency provided business development services support to Federal Government programmes for youth empowerment, leading to the “achievement of laudable results in the area of job creation and poverty alleviation.’’
He added that due to the experience and expertise SMEDAN had, it provided such services to the ‘YouWIN’ awardees that recorded high rate of success.
Masari said same services would be translated and transferred to other beneficiaries of Federal Government intervention fund in the SME sector.
He called for synergy and collaboration in the implementation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) related programmes to avoid duplication in SMEDAN activities, adding that SMEDAN should be the driving agency for such enterprises.
Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.
