By Bridget Ikyado Tikyaa
The Executive Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has bagged an outstanding award for the support of the development and growth of Micro, Small and Medium -Scale Enterprises(MSMEs) in Benue
The award is in recognition of Governor Alia’s outstanding efforts in supporting the development and growth of medium and small-scale enterprises (MSEs) in the state.
The ceremony was performed by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Sen Ibrahim Hadejia at the World MSME Day (Joint Nigeria and African Union event) held in Abuja, on Thursday.
Under Gov Alia’s leadership, Benue State has implemented various initiatives and policies aimed at empowering local businesses, creating jobs, and driving economic progress.
Receiving the award, Governor Alia said, “I am deeply honored to receive this award, which is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Benue State Government in supporting our local entrepreneurs,”
“Our administration remains committed to creating an enabling environment for MSEs to thrive, as they are the backbone of our state’s economy.” He said.
Earlier, Vice-President Kashim Shettima assured that President Bola Tinubu’s administration was committed to the prosperity of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.
Shettima, represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia, said that the recent launch of N150 billion MSME’s Intervention fund in partnership with the Bank of industry which offers single digit loans to MSMEs across Nigeria, among other interventions, was an example of the commitment.
He noted that MSMEs are the backbone of not only the Nigerian or the African economy, but of the global economy.
According to him, they account for 90 per cent of all businesses worldwide and employ over 60 per cent of the global workforce.
“It is no wonder that the United Nations has dedicated today, June 27th, to recognise MSMEs and to celebrate them for their immense contributions to the economies of nations all over the world.
“In Nigeria, the stakes are even higher when it comes to MSMEs. MSMEs in Nigeria account for 96 per cent of all businesses; they contribute to our economy by over 45 per cent and without them, 80 per cent of the current Nigerian workforce will be without employment.
“These facts provide us with the evidence that if MSMEs prosper, Nigeria prospers, if MSMEs prosper, Africa prospers, if MSMEs prosper, the entire world prospers.”
Shettima, however, said that unfortunately, MSMEs in Africa are fraught with numerous challenges that hinder their growth and by extension, the growth of the African economy.
“It is for this reason that we have joined hands with the African Union Commission to hear from you all, our distinguished guest speakers and panelists, on devising the appropriate continental solution for this obvious continental problem.
“I want to urge us all not to forget that this gathering is a call to action. This means that we must all ensure that we do our part and put into action all the insights that have been uncovered from today’s occasion.
“Failure to do so would mean that we have gathered here for nothing and wasted another opportunity.”
He appreciated the leadership of the African Union Commission for partnering with the Nigerian Government to bring together relevant stakeholders to lend their voice to the important conversation on what could be done to better support MSMEs in Africa.
Also in his remarks, Mr Tola Adekunle-Johnson, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation and MSMEs, reiterated the determination of government to put modalities in place to ensure that MSMEs access single digits loan easily.
He thanked WEMA Bank for partnering with the President Tinubu’s administration to expand opportunities in the MSMES space.
“The essence of the partnership is to ensure that small businesses are able to get a single digits loan,” Tola stressed.
