By Milcah Tanimu
A consortium of stakeholders in the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector is gearing up to implement a series of MSME-focused initiatives, with the aim of reaching 1.3 million beneficiaries across 17 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Mr. Olusola Abiola, the Director of Information at the Office of the Vice President, shared this development in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja.
These MSME interventions are part of a concerted effort to complement the Federal Government’s initiatives aimed at enhancing the economy and generating employment opportunities.
The MSME and Job Creation Unit within the Office of the Vice President is spearheading these interventions, which are aligned with the administration’s commitment to job creation and economic diversification.
One of the notable initiatives involves the establishment of shared centers for MSMEs, equipped with 300kVA Solar Panels and mini-grids, which will provide six Fashion Hubs and two Furniture Clusters with eight hours of electricity daily. Additionally, there will be interventions in car painting/drying hubs and cold rooms for seafood storage, among others.
To expedite project execution, Vice President Kashim Shettima has issued directives for five of these interventions to be completed and delivered by December 2023, while the remaining 12 interventions are slated for completion before December 2024.
The states set to benefit from these interventions encompass Abia, Rivers, Jigawa, Benue, Borno, Lagos, Ekiti, Niger, Sokoto, Enugu, Gombe, Akwa Ibom, Yobe, Ondo, Osun, Bayelsa, Imo, and the FCT.
Collaborating with the Office of the Vice President in implementing these transformative initiatives are several key MSME partners, including the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Bank of Industry (BOI), Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Bank of Agriculture (BOA), and Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC). Additionally, the Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) are among the participating partners in this collective endeavor.