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By ABUBAKAR YUSUF.
The Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria SMEDAN witnessed a change of baton in June, as a result of leadership vacuum created by the exit of the former Director -General/CEO, Dr Umar Dikko Radda that led to the appointment of a new Director- General, Chief Executive Officer CEO, Dr Olawale Babatunde Fasanya.
A seasoned civil servant, technocrat and bureaucrat of high calibre, Fasanya who rose through the cadre of the civil service was elevated from his antecedents and track records of achievements as an expert, a public communication and strategist along many other SME’s related programs, with national and international exposures.
His appointment came at a time when the need to step up the activities of the agency in terms of jobs, wealth creation, poverty alleviation, food security, improved entrepreneurship and trainings among many others post COVID.
With the negative consequences on the world economies with Nigeria not in exception, the world health emergency and pandemic can only be countered with a renewed vigour on the activities of MSMEs in Nigeria, with a view to improving the dire consequences of the unthinkable situations across the globe, using the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises SME’s as a leeway out of the quantum quagmire.
Armed with these wealth of experience garnered over the years, Fasanya’s determination to unlock MSMEs programs in Nigeria was non negotiable, having kicked the ground running through empowerment of 740 SME’s across the country, creating free trade area meant for branding and packaging of products, through provision of financial muscle to the beneficiaries.
The new SMEDAN helmsman with a focused template and determination to achieve brisk results, was in line with the global expectations of creating jobs through SME’s for about 600M people geared towards achieving the SDGs goals efforts to reducing poverty, unemployment rates, diseases and providing engagement outlets.
This is coming at a time when the when the contentious collateral for MSMEs programs had generated a lot of concerns , but with cognizance to the well being of average Nigerians being put into serious consideration to achieve the global targets.
The new leadership is living no stone unturned towards domesticating it’s activities and achieving results using a well thought out mechanism, that will bridge the statutory requirements as well as well as achieving the stated objectives.
Aside opening up other areas that will encourage average Nigerians into keying to SME’s programs across the country, it had sustained the laudable programs initiated by the out gone leadership that is line with aims and objectives of MSMEs activities.
This has led the new leadership into designing new programs that will not only encourage the promotion of SME’s in the country, but encourage Nigeria legislators for more actions in routing their statutory constituency projects for trainings, empowerment and capacity building for MSMEs through the agency, for proper awareness, orientation and reorientation.
With the new leadership, who had over two decades experience, exposures in SME’s activities and expertise, the new area of collaboration with the international bodies to advance local and international exposures towards achieving more opportunities to Nigeria, will provide another round of development in MSMEs programs.
The activities of SMEDAN with D8 countries under the leadership of Babatunde Fasanya will not only improve SME’s across the country, but turn around other programs of MSMEs in line with global requirements and results.
Therefore, no doubt and with determination, the current management is determined to achieve set objectives and results in a record time, towards ameliorating the growing scourge of poverty, unemployment rates, capacity building, empowerment and reducing to the barest minimum the growing and unabated effects of COVID and consequences on average Nigerians.
Yusuf Writes From Abuja, and can be reached on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
