The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said that Niger State has not fully keyed into the window provided by the Bankers’ Committee to reduce huge financial gaps for Macro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMES) to address youth unemployment and support the federal government’s economic development efforts.
Speaking at the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) organized knowledge sharing session under the Enterprise Network Initiative (ENI) in Minna yesterday, CBN’s Branch Controller, Alhaji Mas’ud Ibrahim Tulu, said over N60 billion had been set aside by the Bankers’ Committee under the Agribusiness Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS).
Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, who was represented by the state’s Director General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, Umar Faruk Audi, described as worrisome, the high poverty statistics despite government’s efforts. He said SME is a key weapon in checking rising youth unemployment outside agriculture.
The Director General/CEO of SMEDAN, Dr Dikko Umaru Radda, said the forum is a platform for mobilizing the organized private sector to support sustainable enterprise growth with the aim of building profitable and globally competitive enterprises is Nigeria.
