The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo has restated the commitment of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration to support the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Abia and other states of the federation to grow the country’s economy in the face of the present economic challenges.
Osibanjo stated this while flagging off the Nationwide Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Clinics for Viable Enterprises (MSME) in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State.
The Vice President who described the SMEs as the highest employers of labour and engine house of every great nation’s economy said that President Buhari has great interest in the growth of the SMEs and stressed that it was the intention of the incumbent administration to make the industry to compete favourably and to even surpass their counterparts at the global stage.
He said that the essence of visiting Aba, Kano, Nnewi, Onitsha and any other parts of the country is to interact with the people, identify their problems and as well finding a lasting way to tackle some of the challenges that are hindering the SMEs from performing optimally.
“Mr. President gave two examples of how some of our agencies make it difficult for people to be able to register anything or do business and I think that everybody today understands that if we are talking about diversification of Improving our economy, it starts from those who are manufacturing, those who are doing local manufacturing. I am sure you know that the biggest employer of labour and the largest earning to our GDP comes from the local manufacturers and the local industries; that is how it is in everywhere in the world. Our focus is to support the local industry.
“I have seen all sorts of things today. I want to encourage those who are in manufacturing and industry to know that whatever that it will get you to do you business well and to become major competitors worldwide, that is exactly what we intend to do and that is why we are going round, we are making sure that we understand what the problems are so that we can be able to address all of those problems. We are looking forward to a greater Aba, an Aba that will compete with any of the industries that are established in China and any other part of the world.”
Earlier in his remarks, the State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu said that the choice for Aba for the flag off of the MSME Clinics was apt and that Aba merited it.
Ikpeazu who hailed the resilience of Aba manufacturers and industrialists said that the state government was working assiduously to ensure that the goods of the SMEs produced in Aba will get the requisite certification to meet best global practices and standard.
Lauding the energy that the Aba manufacturers deploy in getting their wares produced, Ikpeazu said that he was excited that the efforts of the state government in promoting Aba made wares have been receiving acceptance and at the same time, getting the endorsement of the President of the country, Muhammadu Buhari.
The governor urged the manufacturers to be proud of what they produce, adding that the state government was building “a one-stop shop specifically to make businesses to excel” and promised that the state would be giving land freely to any agency of the federal government involved in the certification of locally manufactured goods that wishes to establish its office(s) in any part of the state.