SMEDAN DG launches scheme

By Augustine Okezie, Katsina

Director-General (DG) Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) Dr. Diko Rada on Monday launched a sensitisation workshop.

The programme, sponsored by MSME Survival Fund’s Transport Tracking Scheme, is for 4,500 artisans in Katsina State.

He said each of the enumerated artisans is expected to receive start up sum of N30, 000, after the orientation, to enable him begin trading or empower his chosen trade.

Rada listed the targeted artisans to include: barbers, commercial motorcyclists, motor mechanics, bricklayers, commercial motor drivers, wheel barrow pushers, electricians and others.

He said the programme, which was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari with a takeoff capital of N75billion, was designed to cushion the negative impact of COVID-19 on the identified beneficiaries, who hitherto were deprived by the nationwide lockdown from earning a sustainable living during the period.

The DG said: “Each beneficiary, who must belong to a union or cooperative groups, is expected to be given N30, 000.

‘’A beneficiary must have been identified as a Nigerian, must possess union or association membership identity card and possess Bank Verification Number (BVN) before he or she is given the grant.

‘’This sensitisation workshops is also being replicated at four centres, namely Lagos, Ebonyi, Abuja and Katsina, being supervised by the Bank of Industry, Minister of Trade and Investment and the DG of SMEDAN.”

He said each state is given equal allocation of the number of beneficiaries, except Lagos, Kano and Abia, because of the existence of large number of small and medium scale business in the three states.