Port Harcourt — Governor Simnalayi Fubara has officially inaugurated the Rivers State Council on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Inaugurating the council yesterday in Port Harcourt, Governor Fubara noted the impact of small and medium businesses in the development of a nation.
He said his led government is strongly committed to industrialising the state for economic growth and development, adding that the focus is to boost job creation, reduce poverty, and enhance the state's revenue through diversified economic activities beyond its traditional reliance on oil and gas.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Lawson Okuru, Governor Fubara said the state government under his watch has initiated several programs to support SEMs, including "Rivers State Microfinance Agency, Rivers State Employment and Empowerment Program, Business Development Program".
Stressing that various reforms have been put in place by the state government to simplify the process of starting and running business in the state, Governor Fubara charged the council to tackle challenges affecting MSMEs and ensure the live of the council successfully last long.
THISDAY observed that the governor approved the establishment of the council and further supported it by releasing funds to the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to organise the event.
In his welcome address, the South-South Zonal Coordinator, SMEDAN, Mr. Egbuna Iloba, said the inauguration of the council represents an important landmark in the development of the subsector in the state.
Speaking on the theme of event "Creating a public-private Dialogue Platform that will Deliver Optimal Benefits for MSME Development", Iloba noted that MSMEs sector remains the engine for critical economic growth and poverty reduction globally.
He said: "The onus is on us as facilitators, drivers and promoters of the sector to invent the required will to create the enabling environment to jumpstart and hasten its development and growth ".
According to Iloba,"Despite the teeming growth of micro, small and medium enterprises in the states, there has been gap in establishing a coalition of stakeholders to oversee the coordination, progress and challenges of these businesses within the state ".
He however, lauded Governor Fubara for his commitment and support to MSMEs, saying that "Rivers State will emerge and become the most industrialised state in Nigeria in no distant time in the future".
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Iloba also thanked the governor for giving his approval for the event, stressing "It is with this kind of support, encouragement and visionary leadership of His Excellency that has brought Rivers State to be the second most industrialised state in Nigeria, only second to Lagos "
On her part, Olalekan Rashidat, Rivers State Manager, SMEDAN said MSMEs councils have been inaugurated in several states in the federation, adding that they are in collaboration with Non-Governmental Organisations, development partners like the British council and others in the drive for economic development.
"The MSMEs council is spur to create public, private dialogue on the platform to develop the MSMEs through various interventions and sources of finance like grants, low interest schemes, conditional grant schemes, low interest loans and also providing business advisory services for small businesses within the Niger Delta region. "Presently, we are trying to develop the user service points for MSMEs to transform them from being tech underserved to tech serve businesses and also trying to inform them digitally how to develop skills in cyber security and digital marketing
