The Federal Government has commended the Bank of Industry (BOI) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) for partnering with the Katsina State in its MSME development drive.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, gave the commendation when has commissioned the remodeled Katsina Industrial Development Centre (IDC), Common Facility Centre, and the flag-off of the first Katsina MSME Clinic and Fair in the State.
He called on other states to emulate Katsina’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) initiatives model aimed at tackling unemployment, and insecurity, and promoting progress for the citizens.
Shettima, represented by his Deputy Chief of Staff Hassan Hadeja, also lauded Governor Dikko Radda’s focus on data-driven decision-making for MSME development, mirroring the approach taken at the federal level.
He emphasised the significance of MSMEs, which he said, is accounting for 96% of Nigerian businesses, 84% of the workforce, and nearly half of the GDP.
Shettima acknowledged the crucial role of MSMEs in job creation, value addition to agriculture, and overall economic development,and highlighted the Federal Government’s efforts to support MSMEs.
This includes dedicated funding initiatives through partner banks and the appointment of a Senior Special Assistant on job creation and MSMEs.
The Director-General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Charles Odii, commended Katsina State for following a framework similar to SMEDAN’s business processing and sourcing model.
He observed that the upgraded IDC in the state has the potential to accommodate over 500 SMEs trained in business processing and sourcing, adding that the center housed a call centre with a capacity for over 500 representatives.
The SMEDAN chief commended Governor Radda for the establishments of 136 business development service providers saddled with the responsibility of providing crucial guidance to entrepreneurs across the state.