Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo is committed to ensuring that all targets set by the Federal Government within the Micro Small and Medium Enterprise(MSMEs) space are met, an Aide says.
Tola Johnson, Special Adviser to the President on Small and Medium Enterprises in Nigeria, office of the Vice-President, spoke with State House correspondents on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said that MSMEs Clinics partners met with the vice-president to review the clinic, with a view to addressing challenges and meeting set targets as the administration wound down.
Johnson said that the vice-president meets with the partners once per quarter.
“So, the essence of this is just to continue with the tradition on meeting with the partners.
“We are trying to find out from the partners if there are issues–some of these issues that might militate against meeting our targets.
“So, the vice-president said if there are any of such issues, then, we will look for a way of resolving them.
But for him, what is most important is that all targets that we have set as a government within the MSMEs space must be met.
“So, as this administration is winding down, we are trying to leave good notes and recommendations for the incoming administration,”he said.
Johnson said that henceforth, more shared facilities and MSMEs Clinics would be inaugurated for states that had not been attended to.
According to him, 30 states had been covered while the remaining six would be captured before the administration rounds off.
“Outstanding shared facilities will be inaugurated; some states have come to ask for one-stop-shops, we will try and help with that.
“We want to do as best as we can to ensure that we achieve most of our targets before the administration winds down,’’ Johnson said.
On his part, Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice-President, told State House correspondents that the vice-president appreciated the key stakeholders for their input.
He said that Osinbajo expressed appreciation to the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Maryam Katagum, whom he described as the face of the MSMEs Clinics.
“He also thanked the Special Adviser on the Economy, Amb. Adeyemi Dipeolu, whom he observed, actually developed the idea of the MSMEs, alongside Johnson.
“He also thanked the government agencies that have been driving all the policies of the administration regarding the MSMEs and also private sector partners, especially Access Bank.
“ The vice-president especially commended Access Bank for doing such a spectacular work in supporting the policy of the Federal Government especially MSMEs Clinics,”he said.
Akande said that the vice-president noted that the MSMEs space in the economy was a very critical one.
He said Osinbajo acknowledged that MSMEs were at the heart of commerce and industry in any country.
“`If the MSMEs as a sector of the economy is doing well, you could also say the economy is doing very well.
“Which is why he said the president is very particular in developing effective programmes to support MSMES.
“And to also ensure that whatever it is that the government is doing is scaled up so that there can be sufficient impact for whatever government is doing,’’ Akande said.
More so, kayode Pitan, Managing Director, Bank of Industry(BOI), said there were about 41.3 million MSMEs in Nigeria.
Pitan listed some of the agencies supporting MSMEs as NAFDAC, SON, BOI, CAC, banks like Access Bank and NEXIM Bank, among others, all in a one-stop-shop arrangement.
