SMEDAN to train 100 entrepreneurs in Akwa Ibom

Akpan Umoh

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), on Saturday said the agency would train 100 entrepreneurs in Akwa Ibom State on standard packaging to enable their product to attract global attention. 

According to the SMEDAN, they would offer free digital academy training to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) as COVID-19 support to boost revenue generation. 

The Director General of SMEDAN, Dr Dikko Radda, stated this this during the 2020 MSME Opportunity Fair organised by agency in Uyo. 

Our correspondent reports that the opportunity fair is titled: “Harnessing Business Opportunities Beyond COVID-19 Drawbacks.” 

Radda, who was represented by Director, Planning, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr Wale Fasanya, said the fair was packaged to enable entrepreneurs to showcase, market their products and engage in cross fertilisation of ideas. 

He added that the agency would create a convergence point in form of market hub application to enable entrepreneurs all over the country to interact with customers and suppliers of inputs to their businesses across the globe. 

“The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises sub-sector is a critical sub-sector in the Nigerian enterprise development space. They collectively account for most of the businesses in Nigeria and account for the highest number of jobs created in the economy. 

“Business app built to capture all businesses in Nigeria, irrespective of the nature of the enterprise; is a medium to foster great intersection between business to business, business and visitors to the app.  

“It is a convergence point for Nigerians and business owners all over the world, who wish to establish links with potential customers,” he said. 

The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Mr Ukpong Akpabio, thanked SMEDAN for giving the upcoming entrepreneurs a platform to leverage and showcase their creativity to the public. 

Ukpong said that the state government was deeply passionate on the issue bordering on business, adding that the state government would do all it could to make SMEs thrive in the state. 

Speaking to one of the participants at the fair, Mrs Gloria Udosen, an entrepreneur, who is into food processing, commended SMEDAN for providing her the opportunity to promote her business brand. 

Udosen appealed to the state government to offer financial support to small scale entrepreneurs to expand their businesses. 

Mr Emem Evans, another entrepreneur, who is into fascinator production, applauded the agency for its support to small scale businesses. 

Evans said that the coronavirus pandemic has adversely retarded the growth of businesses in  the country.