Nation
SMEDAN Advocates Stakeholders’ Support For MSMEs
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has urged stakeholders within the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises’ (MSMEs) ecosystem to create a more supportive environment for MSME’s to grow, thrive and contribute to the economy.
The Chief Executive Officer, SMEDAN, Dr Olawale Fasanya, gave the advice at a two-day MSMEs Business Summit, organised by Innovation Centre for Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development (ICLED) in collaboration with SMEDAN in Lagos.
The Tide’s source reports that the summit had the theme, “Renewing MSMESs in Nigeria: Navigating Disruption and Embracing Change in the New Digital World”.
Fasanya said the latest survey the agency conducted with the National Bureau of Statistics in 2017 revealed Nigeria had about 41.2 million MSMEs and in 2020, about 39.6 million.
According to him, the country lost about three million as a result of COVID-19.
Fasanya, represented by a Director in SMEDAN, Dr Friday Okpara, noted that within the 39.6 million MSMEs in 2020, about 96.9 per cent were within NANO and micro enterprises.
He said, “that is to tell us that 3.1 per cent is just small and medium sized; and that is a big job for those within the MSMEs ecosystem.
“Especially SMEDAN, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, amongst others.
“We should see to how we can mainstream these 96.9 per cent micro enterprises to small and medium sized; and if you look at the type of crisis we are having in terms of youth unemployment and we say we have 39.6 million MSMEs, assuming we employ one each, a lot will be off the market.
“This is part of the mandate of the agency to ensure that we have the capacity to make a small legion of that to enable them contribute more to the GDP”.
The SMEDAN boss also noted that the MSMEs had made an encouraging contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product of 46.31 per cent, saying that more needed to be done.
“Their contribution to exports is very minimal compared to India that has about 42.5 per cent contribution of MSMEs to exports; equally in 2017, their contribution to export was about 7.27 per cent but the 2020 figure has shown us that there is a decline to 6.21 per cent.
“This means that SMEDAN should collaborate more and partner more with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council to enable us to have more MSMEs, especially with the recent Africa Continental Free Trade Area in which Nigeria is a big player among the 64 African countries”, Fasanya said.
Prof. Stephen Aliu, Team Leader, Centre for Entrepreneurship Development and Wealth Creation and Faculty Member, ICLED Business School, said fostering growth and development of MSMEs would require relevant stakeholders to implement best practices as done in other climes.
“SMEs often face challenges in accessing finance due to limited collateral or credit history.
“Governments and financial institutions should develop tailored financial products such as microloans, venture capital funds, or crowd funding platforms to provide affordable and accessible financing options for SMEs.
“Additionally, promoting financial literacy and offering business advisory services can help SMEs improve their financial management capabilities.
“Simplify regulations and reduce bureaucratic barriers, enhance entrepreneurship education and training, foster innovation and technology adoption, facilitate market access and internationalisation and build supportive ecosystems.
The Rivers state Government has identified six local government areas with the highest burden of maternal and Neonatal mortality in the state.
State Commissioner for Health Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh said this in an interview with newsmen at the Maternal and Neonatal Reduction innovation initiative ( Mamii)Rivers state activation workshop and state engagement meeting in Port Harcourt.
The event was organized by The Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with its Rivers state counterpart in Port Harcourt.
Dr Oreh also restated the preparedness of the state government to support current efforts by the federal government towards the reduction of maternal and infant mortalities in the country.
She mentioned the affected Local Government Areas to include, Andoni,Akuku Toru and Ahoada West
The rest according to the Commissioner are, Bonny, Etche and Emohua Local Government Areas.
She said the workshop will enable the team from the federal ministry of health and social welfare to brainstorm with the view to finding solution to the problem.
The Commissioner also gave reasons why the Mamii initiative was the best as far as finding solution to maternal mortality was concerned.
“The uniqueness of the Mamii initiative driven by the federal ministry of health and social welfare was that we used evidence to elicit the reasons for this deaths, so that the solutions will be context specific and tailored to the particular environment where those deaths are occuring
“For us in Rivers state we have six Mamii LGAs , nationally we we have 172 local government areas “the Commissioner said.
Earlier in her opening remarks,Dr Oreh said the state government is prepared to work with the federal ministry of health and social welfare to check the rate of maternal mortality in the state.
She commended The Minister of Health and Social welfare Professor Ali Muhammad Pategi for driving the Mamii initiative across the country and expressed optimism that the programm will see to the end of maternal mortality in the country.
Also speaking the National Coordinator Nigeria health sector Renewal Initiative Dr Adam Ahmed said Rivers state is the last state among Mamii states in the country to host the team.
He said the team will visit the affected Local Government Areas with the view to interacting with the people on how to check the trend.
He expressed the hope that with continuous efforts, maternal mortality will be checked.
Also speaking the permanent secretary Rivers state Ministry of Health Professor Justinah Jumbo said the government is not leaving any stone unturned towards reduction in maternal deaths.
The permanent secretary said Governor Siminalaye Fubara is a health friendly Governor who is desirous in improving the quality of health of Rivers people.
John Bibor
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rivers state has declared a one day fasting and prayer to seek divine intervention on the political crisis rocking the state.
The Association said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt.
State chairman of the Association,Most Rev. Dokiboeriya B. Kaladokubo said the fasting and prayer which holds February 5th at the Ecumenical center Abonnema wharf was in furtherance of the Association peace, advocacy, good governance and political stability in Rivers state.
He said the Association has observed with disappointment the dangerous trend and and gradual descent of governance in Rivers state into uncertainty and near oblivion, adding that the trend has exposed Rivers citizens to insecurity, economic hardship, loss of livelihood and the destruction of lives and property.
Kaladokubo said the association has also watched with dismay the unfolding political crisis in the state, stressing “what we see today is not merely a disagreement among political actors,it is a dangerous drift that threatens the very foundation of governance, peace, security and the collective well-being of our people”
According to him,”as the custodians of the spiritual and moral conscience of Rivers state,we can not remain silent while the state is pushed steadily towards chaos, institutional breakdown and avoidable suffering
“We are not oblivious of the fact that Rivers state like some other states in the federation often experience tension between the Executive and the Legislature “adding”when disagreement escalate they can hinder governance, delay budgets ,erode public trust and impede peaceful, constructive development”
The Christian body stressed the need for parties involved in the conflict to seek for peaceful resolution, stressing that as Christians and children of God “we should seek the path of peace and reconciliation as Christ Himself taught us”it said
The Association further encourage the both arms of government to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness and prioritize good governance in Rivers state
“We also advised all the parties in these conflict to call their supporters to exercise restraint in all their utterances and de-escalate tension in the interest of peace in Rivers state ”
CAN also described as disturbing the role some elder statesmen and individuals in the state have played and continue to play in the crisis when they should have serve as voices of wisdom, restraint and unity
“Rather than guiding the process towards peace, some have taken sides,fueled division and encouraged instability becoming more dangerous than those currently holding power”,it said.
John Bibor
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