The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN) on Tuesday in Kaduna supported 60 Business Membership Organisations (BMOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) with N500,000 grant each.
The Director-General (DG) of SMEDAN, Dr. Dikko Radda, said the grant was to support the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through BMOs, NGOs and trade associations by strengthening their capacities.
The DG, represented by SMEDAN North West Zonal Coordinator, Alhaji Ahmed Madaki, explained that strengthening the capacities of MSMEs in different sectors of the economy through the BMOs and NGOs would reduce business mortality, improve living standards and reduce poverty.
The DG noted that in recent past, over 60 BMOs, NGOs and trade associations with about 600 members had benefited from the programme, which had the objective to enhance their governance structure and general financial management.
“It is also aimed at financial independence of the BMOs and NGOs, with strong resource base for sustainability and effective succession plan.
“The agency is injecting innovative ideas to transform the MSMEs through tailored made programmes designed to combat the alarming rate of unemployment among Nigerians and deal with the negative effects of COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
Earlier, the Manager, Kaduna Office of SMEDAN, Alhaji Badamasi Barau, said growth and grant strategy being one of the policies of the agency served as multiplier means to people and organisations with larger numbers of membership.
“Calling on them to come and we develop their capacities and also give them grants for their businesses is one of our commitments.
“The grants for NGOs who are non profit making organisations, will enable them make peoples businesses better”, he said.
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One of the BMOs and a beneficiary of the grant, Aminu Lere, who represented the Kaduna Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, said the grants would be shared judiciously among the selected MSMEs under their chamber.
“We will share the money to the MSMEs who we know need the grants more, even though some of them are not here at the capacity building, we will go back to the chamber and do the needful.
“As a chamber, we follow up and see progress made by the MSMEs under us, we have a membership of over 1000 businesses, the grant is a step forward in addressing some of the challenges faced by MSMEs, “Lere said.
Also, Hajiya Kaltume Kabir, representative of an NGO, Annihilation Poverty for Women and Children Foundation, said the grant would go a long way in assisting their programmes.
“Initially, we funded our programmes with our personal incomes, this grant will enable us enhance the business prospects of the category of business owners we will reach out to,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that first phase of the programme took place in in Lagos State on Sept. 28 and 30.
(NAN)
