SMEDAN begins review of national policy on MSMEs
By Fredrick Wright
The Director-Generall, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Dr Dikko Radda has said that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the review of the national policy for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME).
Radda made the disclosure during the Maiden Annual Conference of Business Development Service Provider (BDSP) in Nigeria with the theme : “BDSPs and Their Role in Growing the MSMEs” on Monday in Lagos.
He said that the approval was done after stakeholders validation exercises which happened across the six goe-political zones of the country.
Radda said that the implementation of the policy had commenced in earnest under the the leadership of the National Council of MSME headed by Vice- President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
He said that a robust coordination mechanism was in place, under a Public Private Dialogue (PPD) system, in partnership with various stakeholders.
The SMEDAN DG added that the implementation of the BDSPs certification and accreditation framework was a right step towards building the critical mass of BDSPs who would now attend to millions of MSMEs sub-sectors.
“At the state level, the state council on MSME will support the national council to ensure that the benefits of the implementation will reach the grassroots.
” I also want to use this medium to appeal to state governments that have not established their councils on MSMEs to do so in partnership with the Agency.
“The major aim of the conference framework is to set the standard for Business Development Service Interventions by providing the mark of quality for delivery of Business Development Service (BDS) to MSMEs in Nigeria,” he said.
According to him, as a Federal Government Agency saddled with the responsibility for coordinating, promoting and facilitating the development of the MSMEs sub-sector in Nigeria.
He said that he seed the implementation of the National BDSPs Certification and Accreditation Framework as a right step in the right direction towards building a critical mass of BDSPs who would now attend to millions of MSMEs in Nigeria in a very short time, so that we will join hands to achieve the MSMEs sub-sector of our dream.
“The certification process have seen prospective participants going through training, assessment, interview and portfolio development for those who have yet had transactional history of working with small businesses.
” At the end of the certification programme, successful BDSPs are in a position, amongst other skills to demonstrate technical knowledge relevant to the effective delivery of the business development service provision to MSMEs.
” The BDSPs will be able to demonstrate through understanding of the MSMEs sub-sector challenges and to use effective facilition skills to support MSMEs in overcoming these years challenges.
” The training will also help the to apply relevant diagnostic necessary support based on information derived from same,”Radda said.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), WVL Development Advisers Ltd., Dr Waheed Olagunju, said that a total of 110 BDSPs had been accredited under the first phase of SMEDAN programme.
He stated that the number would be scaled up in the next three months.
Olagunju said the conference being a maiden edition was a learning process and added that the feedback would serve as an impute to the subsequent rounds.
He said that there was need for competent and efficient BDSPs to scale up and grow the MSMEs in the country.
The Director, Enterprise Development Centre, Pan Atlantic University, Mr Peter Bankole, said that after the training their was a standard council, saddled with providing a satisfactory system.
“After the whole process, it would be irrelevant to request for school qualifications and tribes as the same standard would be applied across the country due to the measures put in place,” he said.
The Director, Enterprise Development Centre, Pan Atlantic University, Mrs Nneka Okekearu, said the training was necessary following complaints by entrepreneurs to shore up their services.
Okekearu said that there was need for BDSPs to be standardised in their operations to enable them tackle the challenge encountered in the operations.
