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Tag: SMEDAN

  • SMEDAN, Japanese firm partner on Vehicle Recycling Plant

    The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the Kaiho Sangyo Japan have begun discussions on the proposal for conversion of the Industrial Development Centre (IDC) at the Idu Industrial Layout, Abuja, to a vehicle recycling plant. The Centre is one of the 23 established by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment as a business incubation center and Industrial Park, but have remained largely under-utilized over the years.

    The proposed vehicle recycling plant is expected to recycle entirely end-of-life vehicles to be turned into three kinds of steel namely, metal, aluminum and copper, which will then be converted into motor body and spare parts in the nearest future.

    Speaking on behalf of Kaiho Sangyo Japan, the Project Consultant and Team Leader, Mr. Masayoshi Matsushita said that while he was working with United Nation Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Nigeria, he noticed that a lot of dead and abandoned vehicles littered most nooks and crannies of the country and they were an eyesore and could contaminate the environment. “I saw the waste emanating from these end-of-life vehicles hanging around the whole place, I decided that something good could come out of these comatose automobiles which cumulatively numbered about 400,000 in the whole country and about 8000 in the FCT alone. We went into partnership with the Abuja Investment Company on the development of this project. With the help of UNIDO and JICA, we were able to come up with this company to delve into automobile recycling of ELVs”, said Matsushita.

  • FG committed to tackling unemployment – Aganga

    FG committed to tackling unemployment – Aganga

    The Federal Government has expressed its determination to address the challenges of unemployment through development of a sustainable Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

    The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, stated this in Abeokuta during a validation workshop on the Revised Policy on MSMEs in Ogun.

    A statement issued on Friday in Abuja by the ministry Assistant Chief Information Officer, Ibrahim Mohammed, quoted Aganga as saying that the government created 32 million indirect jobs through the 17.2 million MSMEs in 2012 alone.

    The minister said the government had concluded plans to create five million jobs by 2015 through the expansion of the MSMEs.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that he promised to forward a proposal to the Federal Executive Council on the need to ensure production of school uniforms from made-in-Nigeria fabrics to encourage enterprises development.

    “There is no reason why school uniforms cannot be made even from “adire textiles.”

    Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, acknowledged the support and cooperation the administration had received from SMEDAN.

    He said the government would continue to assist genuine entrepreneurs in the “areas of provision of infrastructural facilities and financial assistance.

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  • House committee gives FIIRO pass markHouse committee gives FIIRO pass mark

    The House Committee on Science and Technology has commended the management of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), for improving on its facilities and research activities since its last visit.

    Chairman of the committee, Hon Abiodun Akinlade, said the improvement showed the institute made good use of its funds.

    “Compared to last year, there has being a lot of improvement in the area of infrastructural development. You can see they have really used the money given to them judiciously. Yes, we are impressed with the institute in the area of Research and Development (R&D), particularly in the area of commercialization, they have taken a step further in the area of commercialization by going into the states to have a synergy between the state and the agency. We are pleased with that and we also believe that we can do a lot,” he said.

    The members of the committee however urged the institute to collaborate with other agencies to improve commercialization and adoption of its research outputs by small scale entrepreneurs. He also urged the institute led by Dr Gloria Elemo, its Director-General, to invest in publicity of its industrial solutions so that many more Nigerians are aware of technologies that can provide them with means of livelihood.

    “They need to spend a lot of money on publicity. Nobody will know whatever you are doing until you tell people. From the angle of national assembly, we will make sure that they know what FIIRO is doing here. It is still not enough for them to train people. You see the problem we have today is not about training, where will they get funds to establish? That is where partnership with the funding agencies like the African Development Bank and the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) come in,” he said.

    On her part, Dr Elemo sought support to commercialise the institute’s technologies given the cost implications.

    “R&D is not cheap. To make R&D publicly known and for people to buy into it, we need a lot of funds. We are expecting that we get much more money into the commercialization of R&D especially since we have the R&D on ground in almost all the agro raw materials in this country. All we need now is the support for commercialization and to do commercialization, awareness, and publicity are very expensive,” she said.

     

  • SMEDAN to create 250,000 jobs

    The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) is to create 250,000 direct and indirect new jobs in Katsina State from 2013 to 2015.

    SMEDAN Director-General, Alhaji Bature Masari, disclosed this yesterday in Katsina when he paid a courtesy call on the governor of the state, Ibrahim Shema.

    He said the jobs would be created under the National Enterprises Development Programme (NEDEP).

    Masari said SMEDAN would conduct a ‘Needs Assessment’ in all the 34 Local Government Areas of the state to identify products of comparative advantage that could be developed and processed for sale.

    He said that SMEDAN would also partner the state government to establish mini-industrial parks that could accommodate a minimum of 50 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

    Masari added that another micro-credit system would be established to ease access to finance through collaboration with the Bank of Industry (BoI).

    He said this would assist to create rural industrialisation, reduce poverty, create jobs and enhance the living conditions of the populace.

    According to him, a survey conducted by SMEDAN and Bureau for Statistics in 2010 revealed that only 17.2 million micro, small and medium enterprises existed in the country and provided jobs for 32 million Nigerians.

    The governor said the objectives of SMEDAN were in line with the policy of the current administration in the state.

  • SMEDAN chief pledges support for NGO

    The Small and Medium Development Enterprises Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has pledged to support the Students Advancement for Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) Nigeria to train youths in entrepreneurship and financial skills.

    Its Managing Director, Mr Bature Masari, made the pledge when Mr Agwu Amogu, the President of SAGE, visited him in Abuja.

    Amogu led a delegation of the Local Organising Committee on SAGE international competition, to be hosted by Nigeria next month, to seek the support of SMEDAN.

    Masari said SMEDAN would incorporate the vision of SAGE in its programme to complement the agency’s efforts in promoting entrepreneurship skill among youths.

    “We will incorporate your vision in our programme and give it the necessary awareness and encouragement. We want to ensure that business development starts from the scratch.

    “We will give the programme the widest publicity it needs as it will provide opportunities for young Nigerians to key into entrepreneurship programmes.

    “I want to tell you that SMEDAN will give you all the necessary support to train teachers who will be serving as SAGE coordinators nationwide.’’

    The director general, who said there were many misinformations about the security situation in Nigeria, urged SAGE to interface with foreign missions and enlighten them on the issue.

    “You should interface with the foreign missions that Nigeria is safe for them and that the security agency is winning the war against terrorism.

    “Though they are aware, we should still encourage them that Nigeria is a safe haven for investors.’’

    He said Nigeria, like any other nation, had its own challenges, including security, poverty and others that needed the interface of everybody to adequately address them.

    Masari said SMEDAN would do its best to ensure that the competition succeeded.

    Earlier, Amogu said the security situation in the country almost affected the competition.

    He said over 20 countries indicated interest in the competition that would feature 300 students worldwide.

    The countries, he said, included South Africa, Zambia, Uganda, South Korea, Brazil, Tanzania, Rwanda, Philippine, Russia, Kenya and Germany.

    He said SAGE is a non-profit organisation initiated at the California State University, United States.

    “SAGE is operating in continents with a mission to create the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders whose innovations and social enterprise aim to address the major needs of our global community,” he said.

    He added that one of the purpose of hosting the competition was to attract investors to the country, adding that South Africa would be coming with 15 business delegates.

    Amogu said the programme was aimed at helping to make future dreams come true for youths by teaching them entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills needed to be successful.

    “SAGE Nigeria targets to create a dynamic network of proactive young social-entrepreneurs who are taking actions and volunteering for the pursuit of the attainment of the MDGs.

    “SAGE has been a tool for job creation among the youths which is in line with the agenda of the present administration.”

     

  • SMEDAN to create 5m jobs through NEDEP

    The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, has hinted of plans to create five million new jobs through its National Enterprises Development Programme, NEDEP before 2015.

    Director-General of the agency, Alhaji Bature Masari, disclosed this at an interactive session with journalists in Abuja, stating that with NEDEP, it would be easier to implement the One Local Government One Product, OLOP scheme across the country.

    He said, “NEDEP would cover all states of the federation and Abuja with a view to conducting survey of every products being produced in each local governments as part of the strategies mapped out by SMEDAN to achieve the goal.

    “Our objective is that within the few years of implementing NEDEP and other programmes to be initiated, we will generate an estimated five million direct and indirect jobs.

    “I came here with a mission. My mission is to contribute immensely to the growth of MSMEs all over the country. MSMEs play the lead role in creating additional employments, wealth generation and poverty reduction.

    “Part of our strategy is to create new clusters of businesses based on competitive and comparative advantages already identified through the OLOP initiative and raw materials mapping in the 774 local governments.”

    He added that SMEDAN, which will identify skills of each youth, would work in conjunction with the Industrial Training Fund, ITF which would train them and the Bank of Industry, BoI, for finance.

    The D-G disclosed that the pilot scheme has started in Kano and Niger states, this will develop to create jobs, generate wealth and eradicate poverty in the country.

    This, he said, would be done through the micro, small and medium enterprises, MSMEs, sector for effective skills training and acquisition as well as business services development. SMEDAN had just opened new offices in 11 states and we want to cover all states before the end of the year.

    SMEDAN is being reorganised to make it more effective. The Federal Government is planning to launch the National Council of MSMEs, comprising the federal, state and local governments to manage the economy for rapid development of the country.

  • SMEDAN to create 5m jobs through NEDEP

    The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN plans to create five million new jobs through its National Enterprises Development Programme, NEDEP before 2015.

    Director-General of the agency, Alhaji Bature Masari, disclosed the plan on Wednesday at an interactive session with journalists in Abuja, stating that with NEDEP, it would be easier to implement the One Local Government One Product, OLOP scheme nationwide.

    “NEDEP would cover all states of the federation and Abuja with a view to conducting survey of every products being produced in each local governments as part of the strategies mapped out by SMEDAN to achieve the goal.

    “Our objective is that within the few years of implementing NEDEP and other programmes to be initiated, we will generate an estimated five million direct and indirect jobs.

    “I came here with a mission. My mission is to contribute immensely to the growth of MSMEs all over the country. MSMEs play the lead role in creating additional employments, wealth generation and poverty reduction, ” the DG stated.

    He added that SMEDAN, which will identify skills of each youth, would work in conjunction with the Industrial Training Fund, ITF which would train them and the Bank of Industry, BoI for finance.

    The D-G disclosed that the pilot scheme  started in Kano and Niger States will developed to create jobs, generate wealth and eradicate poverty in the country.

    He said this would be done through the micro, small and medium enterprises, MSMEs sector for effective skills training and acquisition as well as business services development.

  • SMEDAN DG to set standard for the agency

    Alhaji Bature Umar Masari has been announced as the new Director-General/Chief Executive of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).

    Masari who was warmly welcome by the Senior Management of the agency, according to a statement, assumed office on Monday.

    Masari said he is going to take the agency to the next level, adding that new standard will be introduce.

    “I will uphold the ideas of the Agency.Our target is to make out what is best for our nation.

    “I will like to be remembered as a man that came to an office, improved on it and left it better off when the time arrives,” he said.

    Masari, 51, hails from Masari in Kafur Local Government of Katsina State. He is an alumnus of two prestigious Institutions – Bayero University, Kano (BUK) and Ahmadu Bello University [ABU], Zaria.

    He is a man of many parts: a journalist, politician, entrepreneur, and a seasoned administrator.

    He attended Kafur Primary School and Government Secondary School Malumfashi before proceeding to Bayero University, Kano [BUK] in 1983. He graduated in 1986 with Bachelor of Arts Degree [Mass Communications] (Hons.) and then proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, from where he bagged a Masters Degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy (MIAD) in 2010.

    He was once a Reporter with the Defunct Democrat Newspapers, Kaduna from 1987-1990. From 1990 to 1999.

    with the Nigeria Customs Service.

     

     

     

  • SMEDAN, Bayelsa partner on MAME

    The Acting Director General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr Wale Fasanya has said the agency is Committed to sustain its partnership with the Bayelsa State government so as to boost the MSME sector in the state.

    Fasanya made this remark during a courtesy visit to the Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Dickson at the Government House in Yenagoa.

    He said the recent survey that was conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that the state has over 400 Small and Medium Enterprises

    (SMEs), but 99 percentage of this groups falls within the micro and informal sector.

    He said that SMEDAN will ensured that most of the small businesses expand.

    “We actually have a mandate to work with this state to see how we can develop this critical sector of the economy,” he said.

    He said one of the agency’s flagship programme was the recently introduced National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP)which Mr. President would soon launch, adding that Bayelsa is one of the states that the programme will start from.

    He said the NEDEP programme involved getting the state to nominate business development service volunteers who would be working with SMEDAN .

    “We will train them and use them on the field to mentor the SMEs that we have already identified,” Fasanya said.

    Governor Dickson said SMEs was the right way to go particularly for an economy that is over dependant on products and good that comes from outside its shores. He said his government was passionate about the growth of MSMEs.

    “I want this sector to blossom in Bayelsa because that is the fastest way that we can create wealth, create employment, enable people to employ themselves and perhaps employ others and then generates skills that our economy really deserves,” he said.

     

  • SMEDAN: multiple taxes can kill small businesses

    THE Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has warned that many small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) may die.

    Its Director-General, Mr Muhammad Umar, said at the launch of the Nigerian Stock Exchange Alternative Securities Market (ASeM) in Lagos that lack of rural infrastructure, poor access to business information and low synergy among the three tiers of government had also not helped the SMEs.

    Umar, represented by SMEDAN’s Director of Planning, Mr Wale Fashe, called for improved infrastructure and access to long-term finance to strengthen the growth of indigenous companies.

    He advocated the collaboration among SMEDAN, the capital market and the money market for the creation of viable ASeM.

    According to him, the NSE should make the listing conditions for ASeM to be less stringent to lure new SMEs into the nation’s bourse.

    In a related event, SMEDAN in collaboration with the National Productivity Centre (NPC) is set to enhance productivity and competitiveness of SMEs in Nigeria.

    Key players in SMEs’ sectors of the Nigerian and British economies have initiated a new bilateral trade-promoting platform to benefit entrepreneurs in the two countries.

    A statement by the Institute of Credit Administration said the objectives of the forum would involve promoting, supporting or opposing legislation/ policies and measures capable of affecting trade, investment and business between Nigeria and London.

    The conception and eventual incorporation of forum, according to the statement, is based on the need for the business community to join the league of credible elite advocacy and lobbyist-organisations, whose mode of operation is fashioned, structured and managed in the manner consistent with best practices.

    It stated that the group’s quarterly, half-yearly and yearly programmes such as business networking luncheon, trade and investment conference and bilateral review roundtable were held in London and Nigeria.