Erasmus Alaneme
9 November 2009
Abuja — GOVERNORS of the 36 states have been urged to set up State Consultative Committee so as to hasten the implementation of the National Policy on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (NP-MSMEs) roved by the Federal Executive Council since May 2007.
Director-General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Muhammad Nadada Umar who made the call said that the committees from the various states when in place would liaise with National and Local Committees top drive the initiative.
The SMEDAN boss according to a statement signed by its Head of Corporate Affairs, Levi Anyikwa spoke during a visit to the Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Shema, at the Government House Katsina.
According to the statement which explained that the National Policy on MSMEs provides for the setting up of State Consultative Committees to liaise with the National Consultative Committee and the Local Government Consultative Committees. The SMEDAN boss was in Katisna for the North-West Zonal Implementation Summit on the National Policy.
Umar, who was accompanied by a member of the Governing Board of SMEDAN representing the North-West Zone, Alhaji Hussaini M. Bazza, member of the SMEDAN Management and some stakeholders from the zone, told the Governor that the inauguration had become necessary to ensure structured and efficient development of micro, small and medium enterprises sub-sector that would enhance sustainable economic development of Nigeria.
He also urged the Governor to inaugurate the Board of Katsina Business Support Centre jointly established by SMEDAN and the State Government as well as to support the Centre in the area of transportation because the Centre would be operating in the urban and rural areas that make up the vast landscape of Katsina State.
Acceding to the Director-General's requests, Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema noted that no nation could make meaningful progress without developing the micro, small and medium enterprises sub-sector. He seized the opportunity to enumerate his administration's achievements in area of MSME development as well as the business opportunities in the State.
It would be recalled that the National Stakeholders Conference organized by SMEDAN on December 8-10, 2004 at the Arewa House Kaduna, recommended the formulation of a National Policy which would serve as a road-map for the development of the sub-sector. In 2006, the Agency approached the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)for assistance. The UNDP accepted to collaborate with the Agency in the exercise consequently; UNDP appointed a Consultant, the African Institute for Applied Economics (A.I.A.E) and financed the drafting of the Policy.
In January 2007, the draft was presented to the stakeholders from the 19 Northern States in Kano for their inputs. In February of same year, the draft was also presented to the Southern stakeholders for their inputs.
At the end of the public presentations, a final draft reflecting the inputs of stakeholders was forwarded to the Federal Executive Council for approval. The approval was given on May 9, 2007. The official launching of the policy took place on July 26, 2007 in Abuja.
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