By Soni Daniel, Abuja

THE newly appointed Director General of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, Wale Fasanya, has said that the agency is determined to enhance the growth and development of MSMEs across the country with renewed drive.

Mr. Fasanya spoke in Abuja while receiving a team from Vanguard  Media Limited, publishers Vanguard Newspapers and The Economic Forum Series® EFS, which paid him a courtesy visit to brief him on the forthcoming Third Annual MSME Summit conceptualised, curated and convened by The Economic Forum Series ® EFS in Partnership with Vanguard Newspapers scheduled for July 28th 2022 at the Civic Center, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The SMEDAN CEO, who acknowledged the huge potential small and medium enterprises can play in the economic growth of Nigeria, said that his agency was working with banks and other stakeholders to develop a platform for easing the financial stress being faced by small investors in the country.

“We are working to develop both policy and financing framework to assist our small and medium scale investors to overcome the funding challenges that they face daily in their bid to improve their performance and add value to the economy,” the director general said.

“By the time we are through with what we are doing to improve funding for MSMEs in Nigeria, those engaged in the business will have easier access to financing at cheaper rate. We are going to even link the small investors with banks so that they can have direct access to available funding sources in the country,” Fasanya said.

Speaking at the meeting, Director, Vanguard Conferences and The Economic Forum Series, EFS, Strategic Partnership, Mr. Jude Ndu, said he was in the SMEDAN DG’s office to formally share and intimate him of the MSME summit and to solicit the active participation of the agency in the forthcoming event given existing relationships. 

Mr. Ndu was accompanied on the visit by the Northern Region Editor of Vanguard Newspapers, Soni Daniel, and the Head of Adverts, Mr. Kayode Ajala.