‘We will continue to support MSMEs’ – VP Osinbajo assures

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By Francis Ogwo

The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

This was made known by Vice-president Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on Monday during an MSME stakeholders’ meeting during which he stated that the Federal Government in partnership with the private sector would continue to provide interventions to boost the growth of small businesses across the country.

Speaking through a press statement issued by Laolu Akande, the VP said the Government would continue to support innovation and interventions to deepen the involvement of new and existing MSMEs in the nation, this he said would help to improve the economy and create more employment opportunities for Nigerians.

Prof. Yemi Osinbajo in the statement said: “We must continue to be innovative in the interventions that we plan for MSMEs because small businesses are the engines of growth of any economy, in the areas of wealth creation and employment opportunities, MSMEs are very important.

“We really have to think out of the box in our engagements going forward. We need to change the way we do many things, we need to look for ways of multiplying our efforts because the challenges in this space are greater than what we have been able to achieve so far. Of course, we have done a lot, but looking at the numbers in need, you will find out that there is a lot more to be done.”

Osinbajo urged stakeholders in the public and private sectors at the virtual meeting to be innovative in the interventions planned for small businesses across the country, so as to consolidate on the gains recorded in the MSMEs space in the past few years.

The Federal Government’s MSMEs Survival Fund grant scheme, which includes Payroll Support, Artisans and Transport support tracks, is a component under the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP).

The Survival Fund scheme was designed to cushion the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic especially on the most vulnerable small businesses. It is a conditional grant to support vulnerable MSMEs in meeting their payroll obligations and safeguard jobs in the MSMEs sector.

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