SMEDAN Targets More Jobs For MSMEs With GROW Nigerian Initiative

SMEDAN Targets More Jobs For MSMEs With GROW Nigerian Initiative

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency is targeting to create more jobs in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises sector through its “GROW Nigerian” strategy.

The Director-General of SMEDAN, Mr Charles Odii, made this known during a meeting with members of the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria, CICAN, in Abuja.

Odii said through the strategy of GROW which is an acronym for Guidance, Resources, Opportunities, and Workforce Support, SMEDAN would be able to assist SMEs overcome common obstacles and experience growth in various sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Through the strategy, Odii said SMEDAN would provide small businesses with expert advice, mentorship, and strategic direction to navigate challenges and maximise growth potentials; equip them with essential tools, funding, technology and infrastructure necessary for operational efficiency and sustainability.

The Director General also said the GROW strategy would enable SMEDAN to create platforms and market access opportunities for small businesses to showcase their products and services as well as expand their reach.

He stated that the agency would also be offering training and skill development programmes and resources to empower entrepreneurs and their teams, fostering productivity and innovation within small businesses.

“GROW Nigerian is SMEDAN’s strategic blueprint outlining plans to accelerate economic growth by providing vital resources to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in key sectors of the Nigerian economy.

“It proposes our theory of change which holds that by providing adequate Guidance, Resources, Opportunities, and Workforce Support (GROW), SMEs can overcome common obstacles and experience growth.”

The SMEDAN DG said the agency has achieved so much in repositioning the MSMEs sector, adding that within the first three months of this year alone, over 90,000 jobs have been created through the implementation of various initiatives.

Odii said going forward, SMEDAN, through the GROW Nigerian strategy, would be focusing on eight critical sectors of the Nigerian economy noting that the eight critical areas are agriculture value chain, fashion and textile industry, tourism and hospitality, manufacturing and production, education, Nigerian digital economy, innovation and new tech adoption.

Odii who expressed optimism that through some of the programmes being implemented by SMEDAN, the agency would be able to address some of the identified challenges facing MSMEs businesses in Nigeria.
gave some of the challenges to include difficulty in accessing capital and funding for business ventures, high operating costs, regulatory burdens which include issues such as multiple taxation, high registration costs, and bureaucratic bottlenecks, and lack of skilled workforce and training opportunities among others.

Mathew Ayoola, Edited By Grace Namiji