The Director-General, Cross River State Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency (MEDA), Great Ogban has said that the state Governor, Bassey Otu, would strengthen the business community in the state and make it viable.
Ogban made the disclosure during his visit to the state secretariat of the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME) in Calabar, as part of his assessment tour aimed at having personal engagement with business owners in the state, to know their challenges and how government can offer solutions through his agency.
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In a welcome address, James Alicha, chairman of NASME welcomed the MEDA DG to their secretariat, applauded the governor for appointing a man who has vast knowledge of the business community in the state, described the appointment of Ogban as fitting for the agency, noting that NASME is an umbrella body for small and medium scale enterprises that was founded by the Central Bank of Nigeria and Bank of Industry for the organising of small and medium businesses in Nigeria.
Alicha further said that NASME was committed to growing the economy of Cross River State which is why they are advocating for promotion of the activities of the SMEs in the state for revenue generation.
He enumerated part of the entrepreneurs’ challenges to include lack of access to funds and cost of acquiring funds.
The NASME women leader, EKaete Vincent also appealed for support through loans and grants to women, as they mostly operate the Nano business in the state.
Declan Ogar, youth leader, who also toed the same line, said that the youth were the drivers of every economy and as such needed gvernment’s support to make them proactive in the entrepreneurial sector.
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On his part, the MEDA DG, Ogban, applauded NASME for keeping afloat the business environment in the state, assuring them of partnership with his agency for the delivery of Governor Bassey Otu’s vision which is strengthening the business sector and making it viable.
He added that his agency has a strategic plan that will be developed to accommodate the digital and creative sector in the state, as government will also give out loans and grants to support business owners upscale their business.
