Bayelsa State is poised to play a key role in small and medium business sub-sector. The state has realized that its economy will continue to lag behind without getting its indigenes to tap from the potential of small and medium enterprises.
Recently, the state’s chapter of the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME) held its second General Meeting in Yenagoa, the state capital. The meeting came a few weeks after NASME, for the first time in the history of the state, was inaugurated and got an acting Executive Committee in Bayelsa.
In the maiden general meeting on February 23, 2017, the South-South President of NASME, Dr. E.D. Oko-Jaja, inaugurated the executive committee with a seasoned entrepreneur and politician, Chief Thompson Okorotie emerging as an interim state Chairman of the group.
The first meeting was attended by almost all the stakeholders in the sub-sector. The Commissioner for Trade, investment and industry, Mr. Kemela Okara and the Director-General, Bayelsa State Micro-Finance and Enterprises Development Agency (BYMEDA, Mr. Jasper Eradiri.
Others were Bala Hassan, Regional Head, Bank of Industry, south-south; Ayakeme Mass, Rector, Bayelsa State Institute of Entrepreneurship; A.A Ifidi, Head, Corporate Development, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bayelsa state and Nengi Rufus-Spiff, Managing Director, Izon-ibe Micro Finance bank Ltd.
Discussions from the maiden stakeholders’ meeting identified challenges militating against the growth of small businesses in the state. The discussants listed lack of capital, lack of managerial skills and the culture of not repaying loans as impediments to business in the state.
But the stakeholders asked Okorotie and his team to use their acting capacities to reposition the growth and development of small businesses in the state. Therefore, the stakeholders gathered recently for their second general meeting. They evaluated the activities of the Okorotie interim leadership of NASME and gave him kudos.
Prior to the passage of confidence vote, Okorotie gave an account of the committee’s stewardship. He said the committee engaged sub-sector operators and relevant ministries, departments and agencies to formulate strategies of reducing the impediments facing small businesses in the state.
Within a short period of time, he said the executive committee met seven times and embarked on concrete actions to tackle the deficiencies.
He said: “I am pleased to report that the interactions have been very productive. For example, your state chapter has been frequently consulted and involved in all matters concerning MSMEs programs by government agencies.
“Secondly, a few members of the chapter have benefitted from loans on the Anchor Borrowers platform which is a partnership between the State Government and CBN.
“We are looking forward to a more robust participation in the next tranche of the programme that is expected to come on stream in October / November, 2017”.
He said during their interactions, he said they observed that the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry; BYMEDA and the Izon-Ibe Micro-Finance were working tirelessly to empower indigenous entrepreneurs to make them drivers of the local economy.
He said: “We commend H.E. Governor Henry Seriake Dickson and the State Government for establishing and funding the various institutions and implementing a collaborative framework with Federal MDAs for development of the MSME sub-sector in Bayelsa State.
“Furthermore, as a result of such efforts, we are witnesses to a gradual emergence of local content through the creative and innovative talents of Bayelsans who are producing Made in Bayelsa State products and services.
“As a result of this realization, the State Executive Committee has decided to organize the first Bayelsa State SME conference. I expect all of us to play greater roles in our membership of NASME because many opportunities abound.
“I am not pleased about the slow appreciation of the potentials of the micro, small and medium enterprises development in Bayelsa state. Some entrepreneurs remain lukewarm and feign unawareness of the possibilities of this vital sub-sector”.
Okorotie also told the stakeholders that they had received various invitations from China, Italy, UK and the Bank of Industry through the National Secretariat for capacity building, exhibition of locally-made goods and participation in International Conferences.
But he said: “We have not been able to benefit from these available opportunities. So I look forward to a more committed membership while I call on more Bayelsans to register with NASME so that we can take advantage of the numerous national and international opportunities available to members.
“Let us develop our managerial capacity to run our companies better and successfully. Let those of us who are beneficiaries of loans regularly service them so that more Bayelsans can benefit”.
He thanked members of his committee for their hard work and and contributions. The committee members are Chief Lambert S. Otot, Mr. Freedom Prefa, Mr. Franklin Egbegule, Princess Tina Amagbar, Mrs. Phyllis Fafi, Mr. Randy Zimugha and Mrs Maria Enogha
Others are Dr. Godson Omubo-Dede, Mr. Dan Igrubia, Mr. S.D.W. Ajimmy, Mr. Godgift Abaribote, Bishop Tari Okorotie and Mrs.Faith Samuel.
Okorotie appealed to the stakeholders to either orally confirm them and make them substantive executive members or set up a committee in the next weeks to conduct an election to fill the vacant positions on the committee.
Impressed with their performance, the stakeholders in unanimous voice votes gave the committee a permanent status. The chairman unveiled future plans of his committee and express optimism that the plans would reinvigorate small businesses in the state.
First, he said the committee would meet with Governor Dickson to brief him and appeal for assistance to ensure growth of NASME, in the interest of local economy.
He said the committee would develop media partners by visiting all media houses in the state to create awareness of NASME and its benefits.
Okorotie noted that the state would organize the the first state conference and exhibition on NASMEs bring indigenous business people, the banks and government officials together with a view to achieving a coordinated development of MSMEs in Bayelsa state.
He further said the state would participate in the Federal Government SME clinic scheduled for the South-South zone from 28th-30th September, 2017 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In an interview, the Secretary NASME, said the committee would work to ensure that Bayelsans occupy the top ladder of the state’s economy.
“It is crucial because except you are in control of your environment, you will not benefit from what nature itself has provided. Now the blueprint of NASME is to work properly with the state government, the Federal MDAs that are directly involved in small and medium businesses.
“Our ambition is to ensure that NASME members benefit from the various opportunities such as the invitation from China for which NASME wasn’t ready.
“With that invitation, Nigerian goods particularly Bayelsa goods would have been taken to China to open International marketing opportunities”, he said.
