Vice President Kashim Shettima has conferred a presidential award of National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) on the Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, citing his outstanding contributions to the sub-sector.
Presenting the award on behalf of the Vice President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Thursday, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, said Governor Mbah had made a tremendous impact, supporting the growth of MSMEs in the South East.
“The recipient is someone my principal described as changing the leadership strategy, not only in Enugu State but in the whole of the South East,” he said.
“Dr. Peter Mbah is also one of the most IT-savvy individuals I have ever met and he is putting a lot of that experience and knowledge into governance in Enugu State. And he also recognises the impact that MSMEs have, not just on the labour market, but on productivity and increase in economic activities in his state.
“On behalf of the Vice president, I have the honour to present you with the MSME Award for 2024.”
Speaking to newsmen, Governor Mbah described the award as an elixir to do more, describing MSMEs as the lifeblood of any economic development.
He described the Vice President as a champion of MSMEs, commending his tireless commitment to the Light-Up Nigeria Project, which he said would help to ramp up power supply to industrial clusters in the South East.
“Let me, on behalf of the government and people of Enugu State, express our profound gratitude to the Office of the Vice President for recognising our modest effort in supporting the growth of MSMEs in our state,” Mbah said.
“MSMEs are the lifeblood of economic development. But as desirous as they may be, their success is no chance occurrence. They thrive only through painstaking policies that enhance the ease-of-doing-business climate.
“We believe that governments thrive when MSMEs are in good shape. So, starting a business does not have to seem like a leap of faith. Neither is it a zero-sum game, because small businesses create jobs, thus reducing the social burden typically created by huge unemployment rate.
“From the outset, we recognised that our goal to substantially grow Enugu State’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion in the next four to eight years is closely tied to the viability of MSMEs.
“These, roughly summarise the context behind the various incentives and projects we have implemented to aid the growth of small businesses through the Enugu SME Centre and Office of Digital Economy, fuelled by the commitment to upskill 40,000 youth annually in digital and vocational skills.”
He said his administration had equally provided N1 Billion in Venture Capital Funds under the auspices of the soon to be launched Enugu State & SMEDAN Joint Matching Funds for Nano, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises to boost MSMEs growth in the state.
“Our other efforts to boost MSME in the state include the creation of the Enugu State Fashion and Garment Hub and training of 5,000 youth on fashion skills in 3 years, in collaboration with the Office of the Vice-President and private sector partners.
“The Enugu Skill Acquisition Masterclass, an intensive training module that provides essential resources and insights to digital entrepreneurs and startups.
“Training of MSMEs and Startups in tech skills from software engineering, product design. Web 3 amongst others to imbue them with skills consistent with demands of the 21st century,”
“Creation of a world-class innovation and entrepreneurship hub focused on supporting entrepreneurs who tackle societal challenges.
“The Enugu NG-CARES Programme, which has supported over 4,000 MSMEs with operational and IT Equipment grants worth over N1Billion.
“Transforming Nigeria Youth Programme, an initiative that has supported over 7,000 women-led microenterprises with enhanced entrepreneurial skills and cash grants for business expansion.
“We are also in the process of transforming Enugu into a premier outsourcing destination, leveraging untapped infrastructure and skilled talent to emulate India’s Business Process Outsourcing and IT-enabled outsourcing success.”
