Ogun Holds Business Clinic for MSMEs, Provides Loans at Single Digit

Dike Onwuamaeze

Ogun State Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Kikelomo Longe, has called on entrepreneurs in the state to take advantage of the ongoing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) business clinics to grow their businesses and have opportunity to access commercial loans at single digit interest rate.

Longe made the call while declaring open the Ogun State MSMEs Business Clinic for the Ijebu Zone, which was held at the Daniel Akintonde Hall, Ijebu-Ode.

She stated that the business clinic would help entrepreneurs address challenges affecting their businesses and provide participants the opportunity to benefit from single digit interest loans, capacity building as well as address the challenges posed by the need to get approvals and certification for their products.

The commissioner added that the state government would be establishing industrial clusters with special MSMEs Park for the growth of small businesses as well as a digital market place which would help facilitate market access for businesses.

She also called on entrepreneurs to ensure they register their business Premises Permit for free via businesspermit.ogunstate.gov.ng before the free window closes on the 31st of December, 2021.

Speaking earlier, Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo, said that the state government is organising the business clinic to build the production capacity of MSMEs in order to improve their production and financial management.

Okubadejo added that the government would also create a digital market place like the Amazon platform.

In his welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Remi Ogunmefun, said that the government was targeting 10,000 entrepreneurs through the clinic and assured that Key Performance Indicators (KPI) like capital linkage transaction value would be used to evaluate the result of the program.

Delivering his goodwill message, Chairman, State House of Assembly Committee on Industry, Trade and Investment, Hon. Kemi Oduwole, called on the participants to utilise the loan facilities made available through the clinic judiciously.

Joseph Kehinde and Oluwayemisi Ogunyade who spoke on behalf of the participants lauded the State government for organising the Clinic stating that they would utilise the opportunity to grow their businesses.