MSMEs as Catalyst For National Development

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have been described as the catalyst for Economic growth and national development.

His Excellency, the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor YemiOsinbajo, made the assertion at the National Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Clinic that took place in Onitsha, Anambra State.

The Vice President noted that the focus of the present administration is, amongst other things, to empower the citizenry with the necessary skills and capacity to enable them become self-reliant and contribute to the economy of the country.

Osinbajo said it was against this background that the government deems it necessary to institute programmes such as the MSME Clinic with a view to creating a conducive environment for business to thrive especially small and medium enterprises.

He noted that Nigeria has a very agile, entrepreneurial and hardworking population which, if given the necessary encouragement, will contribute positively to the development of the country, hence the need to expose them to the abundant opportunities not only for their development but for that of the country at large.

The Vice President pointed out that the establishment of the MSME Clinic were conceived and designed to bring the regulatory agencies of government whose work affects the business experience of MSME’s nearer to them. He opined that since its inception, has created a lot of opportunities for businesses and enterprises to interact with relevant authorities and remove bottlenecks that hinders their development.

According to him, Nigeria’s economy needs MSMEs to grow, as there can never be any development where the populace are not contributing to the economy and such is only possible when the citizens are productively and gainfully employed.

He commended the various government agencies and parastatals present at the Clinic for their efforts at simplifying their processes which indeed goes a long way in assisting the MSMEs in the country. He urged participants to utilize the opportunities provided by the Clinic to improve their business for their development.

Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, in his address, commended the Federal Government for the initiative which has been impacting positively on the development of businesses and enterprises in the country.

He encouraged Government to come up with more programmes that will impact noticeably on the lives of the citizenry to enable them contribute their quota in nation building.

The MSME Clinic is a national programme initiated by the Office of the Vice President in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry and Commerce to encourage and support small business enterprises in Nigeria to grow. The Clinic, which is an all year activity, has so far been held in about seventeen (17) States across the federation.

Stakeholding agencies present at the Clinic include: the Joint Tax Board, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Small & Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Bank of Industry (BOI), among others.