James Emejo in Abuja
The Minister of State, Industry, Trade, and Investment, Mrs. Mariam Katagum, has identified lack of access to quality business training and development as a major challenge facing the MSMEs sector.
This is as the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has presented practicing licenses to the first batch of over 150 qualified Business Development Service Providers (BDSPs) under the National Business Development Service Providers certification and accreditation framework.
The minister, at the occasion said the present administration would continue to give priority to programmes that would enhance the growth of MSMEs in the country.
She therefore, urged the service providers to contribute their quota to national economic development through effective capacity training for millions of MSMEs across the country.
The Director, Industrial Development Department in the ministry, Mr. Adewale Bakare, represented the minister.
She expressed hope that that the certified BDSPs would henceforth execute major projects under SMEDAN to ensure professional delivery of its activities as it relates to MSMEs development.
The Director General of SMEDAN, Dr. Dikko Radda said the licences were issued after qualitative try and certification of the BDSPs.
He explained that the National BDSPs programme was designed to standardise the delivery of business development services to MSMEs in the country.
He said the programme sets, structures, and systemises standardised curriculum for the development of relevant BDSPs for all functional areas of any small business.
Radda said the move was part of SMEDAN’s strategies towards strengthening activities of MSMEs in the country to achieve economic development in line with the agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration.
The BDSPs however, promised to provide the needed capacity training needed to add value to MSMEs in the country and commended SMEDAN for the training, certification, and presentation of the licences as this would fast-track national economic development.
