The Director General of the Small, Medium and Entrepreneurship Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Olawale Fasanya over the weekend said about 90 entrepreneurs received equipment and vocational training in fashion, leatherwork in Cross River State.
Fasanya also said that because of the agency’s determination to address the challenges confronting the MSMES in the country, SMEDAN was implementing the one Local Government-One Product in one hundred and nine (109) Senatorial Districts of the country.
The director general of the agency said this during the Cross River State Entrepreneurship Conference
with the theme ‘Economic Growth Industrialisation, Job Creation and SMES Catalyst’ as part of activities marking the Global Entrepreneurship Week 2022 in the state.
Fasanya, who was represented by Fortune Etu disclosed that the small business sub-sector was a critical aspect of the Nigerian economy which is the catalyst for economic growth.
He said that small businesses collectively account for majority of the Enterprises in Nigeria and also create the highest number of jobs.
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The guest speaker and business mogul, who is into oil and gas, Nsa Ekpeyong while addressing business students from the University of Calabar and Cross River State University former (CRUTECT) and existing Entrepreneurs in the state, urged them to make use of the opportunities provided and be focused on what they do.
Narrating his experience, Nsa told his audience to create value for themselves and make positive decisions to succeed in what they want to achieve.
Bola Omodele, who also spoke, commended Governor Ben Ayade for his Industrialisation policy by providing the platform for the state industrial revolution.
According to him, most Nigerians are looking for opportunities in the wrong ways.
He said that Cross River State was an agrarian community and urged the would-be entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the governor by investing in agricultural value chain.
He cited the Cocoa factory in Ikom, the Calachika factory the Rice seedlings, among other investment initiated by the state government.
Other speakers who gave their personal experiences include Crystabel Ndubisi of the Calabar Chamber of Commerce and Special Adviser to the governor on Entrepreneurship.
