Osinbajo Hails Youths’ Innovation, Resilience

By Deji Elumoye

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said the federal government is encouraged by the resilience and innovation of young Nigerians across different sectors and is committed to doing more to support their growth and prosperity.

He spoke yesterday in Abuja, at the 4th National MSME Awards, which was the climax of a week-long celebration of excellence, hard work and innovation in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector in Nigeria.

Twelve MSMEs won awards in different categories, while Gombe State was recognised as the best state in the ease of doing business rankings.

Osinbajo, who reiterated President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to small businesses, commended the creativity of the 2021 winners of the awards.

According to him, the awards have inspired many young entrepreneurs to greatness and some of the stories are simply incredible.

He urged those who didn’t make it this year not to give up, and expressed satisfaction with the interest shown in the awards since its inauguration in 2018.

He said: “Let me leave you with President Muhammadu Buhari’s words of commitment to MSMEs in Nigeria: he said we will continue to stand by you, to support you and create opportunities for you to grow and prosper.

“This year, we also have a selection of outstanding winners. Our MSME of the Year, “Bold Artistry”, is a company with a team of young and creative artists working on improving the arts industry by introducing polystyrene to their works. With this, they have created impressive artworks and are providing jobs for many budding artists.”

Osinbajo added that the federal government’s interventions in the MSMEs space over the years have been geared towards creating jobs, ensuring growth and making them more viable.

“It has become a prominent feature in the annual event calendar of the MSMEs community in Nigeria, attracting thousands of prospective business owners, established entrepreneurs, regulators and financiers. In the first edition of the awards in 2018, 500 applications were received. I am told that over 10,000 entries were received for this year’s edition alone. Clearly, the interest shown in the awards by Nigerian entrepreneurs has been tremendous,” he stated.

He thanked all governors who hosted MSMEs Clinics in their states supported the building of one-stop shops for MSMEs and also those who provided suitable buildings for the shared facilities for MSMEs.