Science and technology key to development of SMEs - SMEDAN DG

By Adeoluwa Afusat

The Director-General of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (SMEDAN), Umaru Dikko Radda has reiterated the importance of science and technology in the development of Micro, Small and Medium Scale enterprises.

Radda said entrenching Science and Technology innovations (STI) is crucial in driving economic growth especially in the area of made in Nigeria goods and services.

Radda stated this at a public service event tagged “Entrenching Science Technology and Innovation (STI) for SMEs Development – A Public Servants Forum” organized by the agency in Abuja.

“The Executive order No 5 signed by President Muhammadu Buhari seeks to entrench Science Technology Innovative (STI) in everyday life as a key to achieving our national development goals, increase the quantum of value created and harness STI for driving national competitiveness and productivity in the Micro-Small and Medium Enterprise.

“The setting up of SMEDAN in 2003 was the government’s response to tackling the problems of MSMEs in a coordinated fashion and one of the visions of the agency is to establish a structures and efficient MSMEs subsector that will enhance sustainable economic development in Nigeria, ”

“Through the instrumentality of the flagship programme (One Local Government, One Programme (OLOP), it has served as the vanguard of promoting sustainable and inclusive rural industrialization,” he added

The event featured exhibitions from different agencies including the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), National Directorate of Employment (NDE) Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA) among others.