Senator Olamilekan Adeola, Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, says it is imperative to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to accelerate the development of the Nigerian economy.
Adeola, (APC-Lagos West) made the statement while speaking at the opening of Lagos West Locally Made Goods Fair and Exhibition on Friday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)reports that the two-day programme was organised by Sen. Adeola in collaboration with the Federal Cooperative College, Enugu State.
The theme of the programme was “Harnessing the Growth of MSMEs for Sustainable Development in Lagos West Senatorial District”
Adeola said MSMEs were the pillar of the economy, adding that their growth would help overcome challenges.
“MSMEs are the strong room of our economy. Once we succeed in growing our MSMEs, we can be rest assured that the challenges we have in our economy will be a thing of the past.
“This is because MSMEs constitute 50 to 60 per cent of the players in the economy.All we need to do is to encourage them and support the operators of these businesses, “he said.
Adeola said he co-organised the programme to support and encourage small and medium scale businesses in his constituency to achieve their business goals.
The senator assured that the programme would be a continuous one and that he would further organise training for business owners in his constituency on how to grow their businesses .
“We will also assist the beneficiaries to access cheap funding for the benefits of their businesses”,he added.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the various programmes put in place by his administration to support the growth of MSMEs in the country.
Adeola said he had no doubt that by the end of Buhari administration, so many small and medium scale businesses would have been impacted by the many programmes.
He urged businesses to take advantage of the interventions of the Buhari administration for growth.
“There are agencies doing a lot of intervention programmes ,all you(businesses)to do is to navigate your way to identify agencies that have programmes particularly for MSMEs.
“I know the Central Bank is trying to encourage Nigerian banks to put funds out there for MSMEs.
“On our part, we will do our best to support producers and businesses in Lagos West,” he said.
Adeola said he was irrevocably committed to impacting lives of the people of his constituency and would continue to do his best to support them.
NAN reports that no fewer than 100 businesses in Lagos West exhibited their goods at the programme.
Some of the goods on display include shea butter ,liquid soap, local snacks, and beverages.
Mrs Opeyemi Abudu,one of the exhibitors, thanked Adeola for the opportunity.
She said through the programme, she had been able to network with other businesses and expand the market for her product.
“I make groundnut snacks (Kulikuki) and the patronage I have gotten today is awesome. I thank Senator Adeola for this opportunity and what he is doing the people of Lagos West,” she said. (NAN
