2,538 MSMEs Benefit from FG’s Guaranteed Offtake Scheme in S’East

Gideon Arinze in Enugu

No fewer than 2,538 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have so far benefitted from the federal government guaranteed offtake scheme in the South-east region.

Member of the MSME Survival Fund Steering Committee, Ubadigbo Okonkwo, disclosed this yesterday in Enugu during a town hall meeting organised for beneficiaries of the scheme.

He explained that the purpose of the meeting was to highlight the scheme’s achievements around the country and to receive feedback from beneficiaries on all tracks of the scheme.

According to him, “The Guaranteed Offtake Scheme is one of the schemes under the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP), which was approved in 2020 as part of efforts to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on micro and small businesses.”

Okonkwo explained that apart from the Guaranteed Offtake Scheme, the region had also benefitted from various schemes of the federal government, including payroll support, MSME grant, artisan and transport and the CAC formalisation support scheme.

He maintained that the meeting, which was held simultaneously across the six geo-political zones, is also intended to sensitise the public, especially the informal sector on the advantages of the federal government interventions.

“The anticipated impact of the entire programme was to directly engage 100,000 MSMEs in the production sector alone and save at least 1.3 million jobs, “he said, adding that the programme gave special focus to 45 percent female-owned SMEs and 5 percent for those with special needs.

The high point of the meeting was the presentation of certificates to beneficiaries of the scheme.