SMEDAN gives N7.5m free loan to 15 MSMEs groups to facilitate trade

The Director General, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) DR Dikko Radda, has said that its agency presented cheque of N500 thousand each to 15 MSMEs trade Association to facilitate trade.
Radda made the disclosure during the three – day Capacity Building Programme, Organised By SMEDAN in Lagos on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Theme” Empowering Business Membership Organization /NGOs in Post Covid Era “.
Radda said that the training was aimed to build the capacity of BMO’s, NGOs and Trade Association to enable them assist in enlightening their members.

He said that the training would assist the association to also support their members on the growth of Micro, (Small and Medium Scale Enterprise (MSMEs) in the country.
“Majority of the BMO’s are responsible fro the development of MSMEs in our country, they are responsible for a lot of activities happening eco systems for MSMEs development.
” We feel that there was need for us to bring them together and train them to help them to boost their capacity for the development of the country.
” We are training them in all aspects with the support of experts from all the regulatory bodies and financial institutions will train them of their activities and how they can tap on those activities and use it for the growth of their businesses.
“After the three-day trading, SMEDAN will support them with N500, 000 each to 15 BMO’s, NGO and trading associations to support them in their activities after the training.
“We are extending this programme to all the zones across the country and we are focusing on 15 BMO’s, NGOs and Trade Association with 10 membership in this particular zone,”Radda said.
He said that SMEDAN was established Via the SMIDA Act of 2003, to facilitate the development of MSMEs in a structured and efficient manner with the overall objective of alleviating poverty, expanding gainful employment opportunities, wealth creation and sustainable economy growth.

Radda said that the agency would soon embarked on a Zonal sensitisation across the six Geo-Political zones to educate Nigerians on the provision of the National policy.
The National President, Nigeria Association of Women Entrepreneur (NAWE), Mrs Vera Ndanusa, said that women efforts in eradicating poverty in the country could not be emphasized.
Ndanusa urged institutions to partner with NAWE to train women in various skills to save the future of Nigeria.
She commended SMEDAN for the free loan which she said would go a long way in helping the organisation and pleaded with the SMEDAN to extend such programme across the country.

The Founder and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Le Look Nigeria Ltd, Mrs Chinwe Ezenwa, commended the efforts of the Management of SMEDAN for organisation such programme in Lagos.
According to her, in all the years of SMEDAN, this is the best thing they have done, coming to Lagos and try to sensitise Lagos.
“Lagos is where it happening, this is where we have all the Micro, Small and Medium what ever enterprise you want.
” This is the home of it, I am hoping that the training should be bigger next time because the participants present are not representing other NGOs in Lagos,”Ezenwa said.
The Le Look CEO, a manufacturer also an exporter with 36-years experience, urged all the participants to work the talk and Enable SMEDAN and Federal Government to achieve it aims in eradicating poverty in the country.

One for the Beneficiaries of SMEDAN free loan, Mrs Okikiola Fakoya, who represent African Women Entrepreneurship Programme, appreciated SMEDAN said the money would help them to boost their production.