Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The German Cooperation has improved the employment and income situation of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria.
In its partnership with the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, (NIPC) and the European Union, Head of Programme, Mr. Marcus Wauschkuhn, said focus would be on strengthening investment promotion strategies at the state and federal levels in Nigeria.
He said the programmes overall objective was working with private and public institutions to improve the framework conditions, business enabling environment and promote policies favouring MSMEs, employment and local economic development.
During its peer learning and capacity development workshop, Wauschkuhn said the specific needs of women would also be considered in all spheres of action, noting that security and infrastructure will also be focal points of the programme.
He said: “The programme is facilitating local economic development, strengthening selected value chains, fostering economic literacy and entrepreneurship competences for start-ups and existing businesses as well as improving the employment situation of returning and potential migrants.
“The specific needs of women are considered in all fields of action. The target groups are the owners and employees of MSMEs and members of other economically active low-income households.”
In his speech, the acting Executive Secretary of the NIPC, Emeke Offor, said the need for effective collaboration between NIPC and the sub-national IPAs cannot be overemphasised, stressing that while the federal government sets the national investment framework which sets the climate for investments in the country, investments are located within the boundaries of states.
He said it is therefore important that the state IPAs are adequately apprised of NIPC’s activities and are equally equipped to complement the efforts of each other in order to improve the Nigerian investment environment.
In attendance at the peer learning workshop were 12 states namely: Cross-River, Abia, Lagos, Oyo, Info, Ogun, Edo, Kaduna, Kano, Niger, Plateau and Nasarawa.
