The Director General of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, Dikko Umaru Radda has disclosed that the sector has become the bedrock for the development of the nation’s economy.
The Director General/Chief Executive Officer made the disclosure in Lokoja when he empowered 100 Scale operators at the Opening session of a capacity building program for the Federation of Informal Workers Organization of Nigeria FIWON.
He pointed out that the importance of MSMEs as pivotal to employment, economic and export growth In the country’s economy cannot be overstated.
The DG SMEDAN represented by Mrs Charity Ukwo Abah, SMEDAN Zonal Coordinator, North Central, said the capacity building workshop aims at impacting skills that would enable the SMEs operators in the State cope with the current economic challenges.
The DG disclosed that the participants would after the capacity building workshop be able to navigate and manage their businesses amidst harsh economic challenges.
The DG also maintained that the essence of the workshop is to train the operators in proper book keeping, marketing and how to package their products to make it attractive to the end users, described SMEs as contributing to the National GDP.
The DG stressed that in a challenging world of business, operators of SMEs require to constantly develop and update their capacity, urged the Participants to key into the opportunities the capacity workshop would Present to the participants.
The DG noted that at the end of the capacity building workshop, aside the skills, knowledge and certificate that would be acquired, Participants would be given the sum of N20,000 to grow their businesses.
Earlier in an opening remarks, Comrade Mariam Usman Ibrahim described SMEDAN as a major partner of FIWON, expressed optimism that at the end of the capacity building, members would be enriched in skills and knowledge.
Comr. Mariam solicited the support of the Federal Government to come to the aid of members, described SMEDAN as the last hope of FIWON.
The FIWON State Coordinator described Finance as the major challenge of members in the State, called on the Federal Government through SMEDAN to come to the aid of FIWON, pointing out that Informal sector remains a major driver of the nation’s economy.
The FIWON State Chairperson expressed confidence that at the end of the capacity building workshop members would discover new ideas and improve on themselves using the skills that would be impacted, with a view to adding value to our businesses.
The various participants spoke on their expectations from the capacity building workshop, thanked SMEDAN for the opportunity, maintained that it could not have come at a better time than now.
Participants at the capacity building workshop are to be trained on Vision and goal setting; Basic record and book keeping; Business ethics/registration issues.
Similarly the participants would be taught sales and marketing techniques, financial literacy and element of business plan for better business management and to enable them assess funds for their businesses.