SMEDAN empowers 90 MSME operators to promote youths’ productively

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), has to provide vocational and entrepreneurship skills as well as empowered 90 entrepreneurs with working equipment.

The Director General, SMEDAN, Mr Olawale Fasanya, disclosed this at the closing ceremony of a 3-day National Business Skills Development Initiative (NBSDI), held in Benin, Edo, recently.

Fasanya said NBSDI was a national wide strategy to provide vocational and entrepreneurship skills as well as empowerment equipment to promote youth engagement in productive ventures.

Represented by Mrs Jacqueline Abayomi-Oscar, Chief Enterprise Officer, Partnership and Coordination Department, SMEDAN, the DG, said the initiative was geared towards poverty reduction in the country.

“In Edo State, 90 entrepreneurs engaged in fashion, laundry and photography, have benefitted from NBSDI.

“A total of 3, 330 entrepreneurs will be impacted with vocational and entrepreneurship skills and empowerment materials at the rate of 90 entrepreneurs per state and the FCT”.

He added that the expected outcome of the programme included improved business management practices, improved service delivery and increased patronage of Nigerian products.

Also speaking, Edo Commissioner of Business, Trade and Cooperative, Hon Afishetu Braimoh, said “our goal is to provide market access and visibility to every product made in the state.

“The state plans to help Micro Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) grow as well as penetrate the export market.

“We are here to provide the enabling environment to make businesses thrive and go global”, she said.

Earlier, Mr Kevin Uwaibi, Managing Director, Edo Investment Promotion Office, commended SMEDAN for being at the forefront of eradicating poverty in the country.

Uwaibi noted that supporting MSMEs to growth would help create jobs, increase Gross Domestic Product as well as eradicate poverty in the country.

Meanwhile, Mr Moses Egbabor, State Manager, SMEDAN Edo office, said 70 fashion designers got industrial sewing machines, 10 photographers received cameras while 10 beneficiaries involved in laundry services got industrial washing machines and irons.

Egbabor urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the skills learnt as well as the equipment given so they would be able to empower others.