The new Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr. Charles Odu has said that under his watch, the agency will eliminate barriers that hamper small businesses survival
The Director General, who gave the assurance during the handing over ceremony by the outgoing DG, Dr Olawale Fasanya Monday in Abuja, added that the agency would leverage on technology to drive its service to SMEs.
Mr. Odu noted that while SMEDAN’s goal remains unchanged the method and approach must be improved upon stressing that the agency “will work with private and public institutions at all levels to eliminate barriers, whether in policy or infrastructure, that limit the growth of SMEs and threaten their survival.
“We will leverage useful tools and technology to achieve our core objective, beginning with the rapid formalization of small and medium-sized businesses to improve the quality of our data and the services we provide.
“Nigerians should be able to conceive of an idea and register a business seamlessly. They must be given a fighting chance with readily available access to funding and a business environment conducive to growth,” he said.
While thanking President Bola Tinubu for the opportunity to serve, he insisted that the agency will continue to fulfill its role as the main driver of economic growth, the source of innovation and the engine of job creation.
Earlier, SMEDAN outgoing DG, Dr. Fasanya, said there was a need to support SMEs to grow as they contribute about 80 per cent to employment in Nigeria.
