SMEDAN trains BMOs, others on ways to address business challenges
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has organised a three-day training workshop for Business Membership Organisations (BMOs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Trade Associations, on ways of addressing challenges facing business environment in the country.
Speaking at the event in Jos on Tuesday, Dr Dikko Radda, the Director-General of the agency, said the exercise was aimed at nurturing and building the capacity of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.
Represented by Alhaji Idris Gambo, the agency’s Acting Director of Partnership and Coordination, Radda said the initiative would also equip them to ensure efficiency, sustainable, good governance and would improve service delivery.
“Nigeria has a challenging business environment, especially for micro enterprises which necessitated this capacity building programme as a cardinal annual appropriation of the agency.
“SMEDAN aims to create sustainable, systemic change in the business environment; this means tackling the underlying systemic failure and ensuring the creation of good governance within the enterprises that constitute the BMOs, NGOs and trade associations
“So, this workshop seeks to address the challenges confronting the MSMEs, to equip them toward efficiency, sustainability, good governance and democracy.
“It will also prepare them for global competitiveness, improved service delivery and productivity,” Radda said.
Declaring the workshop open, Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau, represented by Mr Joseph Abeh, the state’s Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, said the workshop was apt.
Lalong said his government was committed to supporting the growth of micro businesses in the state, adding that its economic policies and programmes were geared toward ease of doing business.
“Economic rebirth is one of the key policy thrust of our government; as such we are doing everything possible to ensure the growth of micro businesses in the state,” Lalong said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop had participants from Benue, Anambra, Katsina and Plateau states. (NAN)
