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Tag: SMEDAN

  • SMEDAN to youths: imbibe entrepreneurship

    SMEDAN to youths: imbibe entrepreneurship

    The Director-General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Alhaji Bature Masari, has urged youths to imbibe the culture of entrepreneurship to check the high level of unemployment.

    Masari spoke when officials of a youth organisation visited him in Abuja.

    He noted that unemployment could best be tackled when youths key into various enterprises development and skills acquisition training organised by SMEDAN.

    “Your best option as young men and women is to imbibe the entrepreneurship skills and development of business ideas through a variety of programmes offered by SMEDAN. This will help you employ yourself and provide jobs for others instead of waiting for government employment,’’ Masari said.

    He said youths were very creative and full of business ideas, which required proper guidance and marshalling to develop into enterprise opportunities.

    Masari assured that SMEDAN would support, guide and hand-hold the youth to be self reliant through entrepreneurship engagements as long as they were willing to help themselves.

  • ‘SMEDAN trained 25,000 SMEs in 2015’

    ‘SMEDAN trained 25,000 SMEs in 2015’

    The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) trained 25,000 small business owners in various vocational and enterprise development programmes in 2015.

    The Director-General of SMEDAN, Mallam Bature Masari, who made this known to reporters in Abuja, said the agency had strategised to provide more services to Nigerians in the current year.

    “No fewer than 25,000 small business owners were trained under various vocational and enterprise development training programmes of the agency in 2015. This includes about 4, 000 small business operators trained under SMEDAN’s 2015 capital project implementation across all states of the federation and the Federal capital, Abuja. In addition to that, more than 1, 000 business owners and starters have received various trainings, mentoring and counselling under the National Enterprise Development Policy piloted by SMEDAN.

    “Also, more than 20,000 other business operators accessed SMEDAN empowerment and training programmes through the implementation of the 2015/2016 zonal intervention capital programmes of the National Assembly,’’ Masari said.

    He said the zonal intervention capital programmes of the National Assembly were aimed at bringing succour and economic empowerment to Nigerians in the senatorial districts and federal constituencies.

    Masari said the agency had adopted strategies to provide its services to more Nigerians by redesigning its training programmes to run throughout the year.

    “From this year, the agency will be conducting its training programmes quarterly instead of waiting till the last quarter of the year,’’ he added.

  • ‘Why CBN shut out items from forex access window’

    ‘Why CBN shut out items from forex access window’

    The Director-General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria  (SMEDAN), Bature Umar Massari has said the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to exclude some items from accessing foreign exchange (forex)  from its official window was to stmulate domestic production of those goods.

    Masari who spoke with The Nation in Abuja, said the CBN’s decision was to encourage local industries to rise up to the challenge  of producing the excluded goods thereby creating jobs.

    He said: “There is a need to impose very small tax on all finished products that are coming into the country. There are Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that are drawing their funding from sustainable taxation of some items.

    “Looking at the MSMEs in Nigeria, it is so huge that government funding alone cannot support it. We are not talking about the bureaucracy in the establishment, we are talking about providing a sustainable means of funding that can support MSME  and development that we are advocating for.

    “If the government deems it fit and supports our idea on some form of taxation on finished products  that are coming into the country where there are taxes already, it is going to be very minimal and the importers are not going to feel it; the overriding desire is for Nigeria to begin to produce those items on which taxes are being imposed. We should not be seen to be importing everything into the country, and by taxing this items to support local production, we are helping the economy and entrepreneurs.

    “The problem with the disbursement of N220billion MSMEs fund is that not many Nigerians are applying to access the fund. I have requested for data for my office from the CBN; we are currently analysing the data with a view to advising the National Council on the progress recorded on the disbursement of the Fund.

  • SMEDAN restates commitment to helping SMEs

    The Director-General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Alhaji Bature Masari, has said his organisation is  taking  steps  to  help solve the problems of small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs).

    Masari, who gave the keynote address in the opening ceremony of  Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and Franchising Nigeria Conference in Lagos, shared the growing  impact of the entrepreneurship.

    Speaking through the Director, Strategic Planning and Liasion, Dr Friday Opara, Masari noted that   SMEs are important supporters of economic growth and key contributors to income generation and employment creation.

    The provision of financing to SMEs, he added, is essential to increase their productivity and competitiveness.

    According to him, SMEDAN is seeking greater access to financing from banks for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to allow them to expand.

    Senior Vice President at Africa investor, Precious Wilson Nkandu, said franchise businesses create more jobs and grow  the  economy.

    Nkandu noted that franchising is a vital engine of economic expansion, seeing it as banner for accelerated growth and job creation. According to her, franchise opportunities are set to grow in Nigeria, urging entrepreneurs to take advantage of it and develop their businesses.

    President, Entrepreneurs Organisation Nigeria, Mr.  Anthony Okoye, said new business ventures  are  needed to  create positive economic  impact across the country.

    He observed that the economy provides an environment for ventures to thrive.

    He urged entrepreneurs to utilise local factors of production to build competitive advantages to beat the economic downturn.

    He  said the main issue for local entrepreneurs is how to increase value and add profitability. He said there were a lot of opportunities for local entrepreneurs should they become more “open-minded” and increase efforts to access new markets.

  • SMEDAN presents new MSMEs’ national policy

    SMEDAN presents new MSMEs’ national policy

    • Seeks stakeholders’ support

    The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Association of Nigeria (SMEDAN) is seeking the support of private sector operators on the implementation of the National Policy on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

    Speaking at the presentation of the policy  in Kaduna, at the weekend, the Director-General/CEO, SMEDAN, Alhaji Bature Masari, said to ensure a seamless implementation of the policy, a detailed and robust framework has been developed, which enunciates the various responsibilities of relevant stakeholders on the implementation value chain.

    “With this first review of the policy, I sincerely believe that the MSMEs sub-sector in Nigeria has been given a further impetus to drive the national economy towards job creation, wealth creation and poverty alleviation. In this regard, I will request for the support and cooperation of all stakeholders towards the achievement of the MSMEs sub-sector of our dream in Nigeria through the implementation of the policy,” Masari said.

    He said the policy, which will be in place between this year and  2025 will be reviewed every four years. He sai it will facilitate and sustain a vibrant MSMEs sub-sector that will be the major driver of national economic growth and development including job creation.

    He added that this will be accomplished by accelerating the profitable expansion of existing MSMEs along the value chain, ensuring transition from micro to small enterprises, small to medium enterprises and medium to large enterprises, thereby enabling them to increase their contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment generation.

    Masari added that the policy outlines key objectives, strategies and programmes for driving the development of MSMEs. It also specifies several programmatic areas such as finance, institutional, legal and regulatory framework, skills development, technology, research and development, extension and support services, marketing and infrastructure and cost of doing businesses.

  • SMEDAN pushes for MSME bank creation

    SMEDAN pushes for MSME bank creation

    The Director-General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Bature Masari, has said the solution to the inability of start-ups in the country to access funds is the establishment of a Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) bank to cater for their needs.

    Barure said banks for MSMEs exist in most countries that have a well developed MSMEs sector.

    “We are proposing to the government the need for the establishment of an MSMEs Bank that will be specially set up to cater for the needs of MSMEs in the country that will move SMEs from competing with large enterprises in accessing funds for start ups,” he said.

    He said the proposed bank will grant soft loans to start-ups at single digit interest rate without collaterals.

    “Everywhere you go to and every country that has been able to develop, they have set aside a special funding for MSMEs and Nigeria, even though we are starting late in according the desired importance to MSMEs development, must toe that line if we must be able to develop the MSMEs sector of the economy,” he said.

    Masari lamented that there are obstacles on the way of realising the proposal, which will not only eliminate the competition with large enterprises stifling start-ups, but also lead to rapid development of the economy.

    “There are so many challenges associated with that because we know that there are some segments of the country and people who are vehemently against the establishment of an MSMEs bank but setting up an MSMEs bank is going to go a long way in supporting and developing MSMEs in the country for them to be able to play a leading role they are expected to play empowering our national economy,” he said.

    He posited that the bank will assist in providing jobs for millions of Nigerians who are jobless and also help to reduce the level of poverty in the country and allied problems such as insecurity.

     

     

     

     

  • SMEDAN boss advocates for import tax

    SMEDAN boss advocates for import tax

    The Director General, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency, SMEDAN Bature Umar Masari has advocated for tax on items coming into the country, in order to sustain local production.

    Masari disclosed this during a Roundtable Dialogue with Commerce and Industry Correspondent Association of Nigeria in Abuja, CICAN, stating that the idea is geared towards supporting local production and also providing protection to local industries in the country.

    While acknowledging the recent policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria which blacklisted some items coming into the country from accessing forex directly, SMEDAN boss said the policy should be able to gear support for local production as well as provide protection to local industries.

    “There are MDGs in Nigeria that draw their funding from sustainable taxation of some items that are coming into the country. If you look at the MSME sector in Nigeria it is so huge that government funding annually cannot be able to support it,” he said.

    Expatiating, he said: “We are not talking of the bureaucracy of the establishment we are talking about providing a sustainable means of funding that can fund MSME development that is what we are advocating for. If the government supports our idea on importation and place some form of taxation on finished products coming into the country where there are taxes already it is going to be very minimal and the importers are not going to feel it.

    “The overriding desire is for Nigeria to begin to produce those items on which taxes are being imposed, we should not be seen to be importing everything into the country and by taxing items that can be produced in Nigeria to support local production we are helping the Nigerian economy and entrepreneur.”

  • SMEDAN, Cross River partner on job creation

    SMEDAN, Cross River partner on job creation

    Director-General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN),Alhaji Bature Umar Masari, has said the agency will partner the Cross River State government to create jobs.

    He lamented that previous governments neglected  SMEs.

    Masari, who spoke when a delegation of the government of Cross River State, led by the Special Adviser to Governor Ben Ayade on Inter-Governmental Affairs, Mr. Chris Njah Mbu-Ogar, visited him in Abuja.

    In a statement,  Head, Public Communications Unit of the agency, Ibrahim Mohammed, said Ogar was at SMEDAN to discuss positive avenues of collaboration between the agency and the state government, particularly on the development and promotion of MSMEs in the state.

    According to him, this is because the state has been losing out on SMEDAN programmes.

    Masari said the agency had written to the governor on the partnership, stressing that it would go a long way in arresting unemployment and poverty.

    “I am glad that the governor is proactive to the people, he is leading because he has the desire to collaborate and implement his programme in manpower development. He is a wiling and committed partner,” he said.

    Masari explained that SMEDAN has partnership with so many states even before the last general elections and parades programmes such as the National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP) and the One Local Government One Product (OLOP) that focuses on products in each local governments of the country.

    He cited Oyo State as an example where the organisation has been going round the local governments, partnering and establishing small enterprises.

    “States should borrow a leaf from Oyo State to improve on the enterprises of the people. We also want the Cross Rivers State government to develop the Industrial Development Centre (IDC) in Ogoja as this would go a long way in developing MSMEs in the state,” he stated.

  • SMEDAN, Oyo partner on MSMEs development

    SMEDAN, Oyo partner on MSMEs development

    The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the Oyo State government are to partner on how to develop the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)

    Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, who commended  SMEDAN  for promoting and developing MSMEs in the State, emphasised the need for synergy between agencies operating within the entrepreneurial empowerment value chain. He noted the need to build the capacity of the youths to be able to own and run small ccale businesses successfully and sustainably.

    He made this commendation during a courtesy call by the Director General of SMEDAN, Alhaji Bature Umar  Masari and top management of the agency.

    Governor Ajimobi pledged more commitment of the government for the One Local Government One Product (OLOP) initiative of the agency, which Oyo State  has keyed into.

    Governor Ajimobi said he is looking forward to a situation where MSMEs in the State will easily graduate from micro to small, small to medium and medium to large.

    The Director-General, SMEDAN, Alhaji Bature Umar Masari, commended Governor Ajimobi for creating an enabling environment for the agency to operate in Oyo State. He noted that the State is taking the lead in the successful implementation of the OLOP programme, which has commenced in all the three senatorial districts of the State.

    Bature who stressed on the need for youth empowerment in the State, informed the governor that based on the recent MSMEs survey report, Oyo State is second in terms of the statistics of MSMEs operating in the country.

    He reiterated the need for pre and post funding capacity building for beneficiaries of the Bank of Industry (BoI) matching fund and the N220b Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) MSMEs development fund already accessed by the state government.

    The Director-General also informed the Governor of other flagship programmes of the agency in Oyo State. These include: Youth Entrepreneurship Development Programme, The National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP), Agricultural Value Chain Programme, Training of Trainers and Business Development Support and Advisory Services, among others.

  • SMEDAN, CU group empower 50

    NO fewer than 50 awaiting trial inmates of the Kirikiri Medium Prison, Lagos have been trained in some trades. They received training in areas, such as soap making, interior decoration, events planning and Psychology.

    The training was executed by Prison Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN),with support from  Covenant University (CU), Ota, Ogun State, Nigerian Prison Service and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).

    At the Sixth Graduation, a representative of the CU Vice Chancellor, Prof  A. M. Gesinde said there could be no peace without justice. Noting some injustices in the prison system, the don asked: “Who are those perpetrating injustices in our society? If justice is delayed, justice is denied – why is justice delayed unduly in our nation/ Why is it that the less privileged individuals in our society are the ones prone to unending injustices? and  why is justice elusive in our judiciary system?”

    Gesinde said there was much to be done to enthrone justice in the country, adding: “A vote for peace and justice in Nigeria is an expensive task that must be executed by all and sundry.”

    SMEDAN Director-General, Alhaji Bature Masari, urged the beneficiaries to see the training as a life-changing programme, make something out of it and be lifted thereby. He also urged Nigerians to do their best on how to make the society better and avail themselves of the objectives of SMEDAN.

    In a report, PFN’s Project Coordinator Pastor N. O. Sule-Bamigbola said while 42 participated in the Onisemus Project of the PFN, 18 passed out. He thanked its partners for their support. He listed the project’s challenges as inadequate funding, mentors, aftercare personnel and equipment.

    He described the project as the last hope of the inmates, which can restore them to worthy living after their ‘terms’. He said there were reports that many former inmates’ lives had been transformed and made productive to themselves and humanity after receiving the training.

    Pastor Sule-Bamigbola said PFN plans to register the Onisemus Project as an entity and open offices in other states.

    A beneficiary of the project Emmanuel Daniel praised PFN for the training. Daniel, who was a trader before his ordeal, said among others, that the programme helped to hone his skills in music, adding that he also benefited from its anger management training.

    He said though many of his colleagues applied, only 30 were considered. He lamented that while at the ‘prison’as an awaiting trial inmate, there were reports that he had lost his accommodation and property and was returning home to start life again, but that with the training he had received, there was hope for him.

    Another female beneficiary, who refused to be named, said initially, she was abandoned until Onisemus executives picked her up. She listed the business training as her area of interest, adding: “I did business before and I failed. Now I have realised my mistake.”