By Kunle SHONUGA
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) said on Monday that no fewer than 50 entrepreneurs had benefited from its e-business pilot programme in Katsina State.
The programme was designed to enhance promotion and marketing of made-in-Nigeria products and services globally.
SMEDAN’s Director-General, Dr Umar Radda, made the disclosure at the opening of the 2019 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Opportunity Fair in Katsina.
TBI Africa said the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of this year’s edition is “Expanding Market Frontiers for MSMEs”.
“This year’s opportunity fair will be featuring on promotion of made-in-Nigeria products/services, market linkages, networking, direct access to regulatory bodies, and access to useful critical business information, required for MSMEs’ growth and development.’’
Radda, who was represented by the Director, Administration and Finance, Mr Shehu Sada, said the programme was designed to train young entrepreneurs, on how to market their products and services online.
He said that the beneficiaries were provided with computers to aid their work.
Radda said that the agency also initiated a One Local Government, One Product (OLOP), to promote the development of at least one identified product per Local Government Area in Nigeria.
According to him, the programme will add more value to the products that have export potential.
He noted that the agency also designed a Farm Business School Programme to empower youths with the right skills, and offer them necessary resources required to make entrepreneurial success.
“Three cooperative societies in Kafur Local Government Area of the state have benefited with four sets of maize threshers in 2018,’’ he said.
Gov. Aminu Masari, who was represented at the event by the Commissioner for Commerce and Industries, Alhaji Abubakar Yusuf, described lack of access to financial institutions as a major challenge of the SMEs.
Masari said that the state government was working to open at least a micro finance institution in each of the 34 local government areas of the state, to enhance socio-economic activities.
