Trade and Industry Minister, Richard Adebayo has said the
federal government is optimistic of securing a $500 million AFDB
fund for technology innovation in the country.
Adebayo who disclosed this at the 11th meeting of the National
Council on Industry in Uyo said the FG would also work towards the
realization of one agro-processing zone in each senatorial district
to encourage farmers in the country.
The minister also said the FG is committed to ensuring credit
access to 10 million MSMEs at single digits rate in order to fully
activate the private sector in six special zones in Lekki, Enyimba,
Funtua, Ibom, Kano and Benue.
He explained that the policies were meant to boost FG strategy
towards the realization of taking 100 million Nigerians out of
poverty in the next ten years.
Adebayo said that the ministry already initiated and implemented
the One Local Government One product Programme expected to generate
over 4,900 new jobs and have established three facilities to help
revamp SMEs in Sokoto, Aba and Minna.
“The National Enterprises Development Programme being
implemented is generating 1,000,000 jobs annually. The programme is
a strategic way of delivering enterprise development in the country
directly addressing the critical factors that have inhibited the
growth of the MSME sector.
“It is of interest to intimate the council that tremendous
progress has been recorded in the areas of improved registration of
enterprises, increased access of MSMEs to grants, improved capacity
of MSMEs and job creation opportunities amongst others.
“There are over 100,000 MSMEs registered under the Business
Innovative and Growth, (BIG) platform, which is the only channel
through which MSMEs can access the project intervention
programme.
“It is my sincere belief that this 11th National Council
meeting, judging by the calibre of members present and coupled with
your proven experience and expertise will help in articulating
pragmatic resolutions for repositioning the Small and Medium Scale
Businesses for alleviating poverty and the eventual uplifting
Nigeria to the next level of economic development.” He
concluded.
In a remark, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom stated that
ongoing construction of a coconut plantation and refinery and the
Ibom Deep Sea Port projects we’re programmes aimed at providing
massive direct and indirect employment opportunities for skilled
manpower from all over the world.
The state government, Emmanuel said has continued to boost power
supply, essential for industrial sustenance by feeding 153MW of
electricity to the national grid and building four distribution sub
stations across the state.
Earlier while well-coming participants, state commissioner for
Trade and Investment, Mr Ukpong Akpabio said the state government
remained committed to raising at least 30,000 viable SMEs before
2023.
In addition, Akpabio said, the State Executive Council recently
approved IBOM 3,000 project as an operational scheme to identify
and train 3,000 SME beneficiaries drawn from across the state on at
least one industry skill in the first phase of the programme which
would commence in January 2020.
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