— Promise regular power supply
By DADA AYOKHAI
Governor Godwin Obaseki administration of Edo state has continued to take practical steps within its reach to designed incentives and programmes to support the local MSME’s to thrive.
The governor latest incentives is the plan to build an industrial park which will not only serve as a hub for the MSME’s but also provide 24-hour uninterrupted power supply.
The Governor made the promise in a Goodwill message to the Stakeholders Dialogue on MSMEs Development and the Implementation of the National Policy on MSMEs held in Benin, the Edo State capital.
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Hon Afie Braimoh, the state commissioner of Business Trade, and Cooperatives read the message on behalf of the governor.
According to Governor Obaseki, the state government is working on opening access to regular power supply to the MSME’s as a way of improving their competitiveness and sustainability.
The Dialogue was the brainchild of the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, in conjunction with the Edo State Ministry of Business, Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives, MBTIC.
Other sponsors of the Dialogue include the Edo State Skills Development Agency, Edo Jobs, and the Pro-poor Growth and the Promotion of Employment in Nigeria, the SEDIN Programne.
An elated Gov Obaseki praised the “working synergy” that exists among the various agencies in the state and their foreign partners, adding this has helped significantly to push the state government’s policy on MSME’s beyond the frontiers of human imagination.
He said, “The relevant state agencies, especially likes of the MBTIC and Edo Jobs, have done very well so far in helping to propagate the vision of the administration on boosting the capacity of the local MSME’s.
“There’s no gain saying that the MSME’s are the the engine room for growth and economic survival in view of the fact that they employ the bulk of the labour force, and can also be found in every nook and cranny of the land where they are making positive impacts on our lives.
For this and other reasons, my administration decided to focus mainly on the MSME’s as the catalyst for the industrialization policy of the state
through a series of well-targeted incentives, including credit facilities, exposure to modern trends and techniques in business management, sponsorships to both local and international trade exhibitions, fairs, and others, all in the bid to rekindle the spirit of competitiveness and proficiency.
Mr. Markus Wauschkuhn, the Head of Programmes at the German Development Agency, GIZ – SEDIN, also sent in a goodwill message that was read on his behalf by Mr. Akinropo Omoware, the Head of Policy, GIZ.
Wauschkuhn provided an insight into the activities of his Agency within the country, saying, for instance, the Pro-poor Growth and the Promotion of Employment in Nigeria as well as the Nigeria Competitiveness Project, NICOP, all funded by the European Union, are GIZ initiatives.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Lawan Onise, the Director of Planning, Marketing, and Enterprise, SMEDAN, said the purpose of the Dialogue was to make states take ownership of the implementation of the National Policy, insisting the Dialogue provided a veritable platform for the stakeholders to “interface and share” from the body of existing knowledge to be able to drive the process.
Other notable keynote speakers at the Dialogue included the Managing Director of the Edo State Investment Promotions Office, ESIPO, Mr. Kelvin Uwaibi, and his counterpart from the Edo State Skills Development Agency, and also the Head of Entrepreneurship, Mr. Segun Majekodunmi.
Earlier, the representative of the ministry of Business, industry, and cooperatives, mr Efe Iserhienrhien, who is the Permanent secretary of the ministry expressed gratitude to the SMEDAN and other development partners for actively supporting the state’s MSME policy, adding the state is presently developing an MSME blueprint and called for greater support on the part of the development partners.
