The German Development Agency (GIZ) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
Mrs Oladoyin Olawoye, Head Component Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, GIZ-SEDIN programme, who made this known on Thursday in Abuja said the memorandum was to formalise cooperation and strengthen Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) development in Nigeria.
Olawoye said that the MoU was also to formalise the existing cooperation between the agencies.
According to her, the MoU will aid GIZ to ensure continued support for MSMEs, especially in the area of innovation, digitalisation and access to new markets places such as e-commerce market.
“The GIZ-SIDEN programme is the sustainable and inclusive economic development for decent employment in Nigeria programme..
“Our reason for being here today is to sign an MoU with SMEDAN as GIZ as a whole. The SEDEN programme particularly works with MSMEs to help in development in Nigeria.
“We currently work particularly with five partner states, Lagos, Edo, Plateau, Niger and Ogun states respectively, to strengthen the MSMEs front in Nigeria.
“Signing the MoU today is to formalise our cooperation because we have been working with SMEDAN for a very long time at the federal and state level, and we look forward to doing much more with the agency” she said.
Olawoye said that the GIZ remained committed to enabling the business environment for MSMEs, to capacitate them on their business skills and also facilitate access to finance.
She also said that it ensures that MSMEs were able to start and sustain their businesses and access new markets particularly access to e-commerce markets.
Olawoye said the GIZ was in cooperation with other agencies such as digital transformation center, which works with innovation hubs across the country and was ensuring MSMEs tolled the digital way of business too.
Mr Charles Odii, Director General of SMEDAN, lauded the efforts of GIZ-SEDIN programme for the enhancement of the development and sustainability of MSMEs in the country.
Odii said that the MoU to formalise cooperation was a laudable initiative that solidifies the relationship of both agencies to further commit their efforts in enhancing MSMEs.
He said that the agency remained committed to its mandates of structuring, and facilitating the development of MSMEs in the country.
After the signing of the MoU, there was a tour of the SMEDAN FCT facility, consisting of a gianantic tailoring hub, grains meal, power plant, sport arena and other entrepreneur facility for MSMEs.