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THE fifth National MSME Awards Dinner, which held at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja, showcased entrepreneurship in the country.
The award was introduced to reward outstanding Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo lauded the Bank of Agriculture (BoA), Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Corporate Affairs Commission, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), among others, for promoting MSMEs.
He commended the various intervention programmes being implemented by the Bank of Industry (BoI) to support the MSMEs sector.
The awards were introduced in 2018 by the Vice President to complement the National MSME Clinics.
The VP said the creativity of young Nigerians indicate that the country would prosper and provide jobs and opportunities for youths
Praising the contributions of young entrepreneurs who won prizes, the vice president noted: “These MSMEs tell the story of our country’s great economic future. We are set to manufacture our vehicles, clean energy trucks and cars, and we are on course to manufacturing our weapons, armoured mobile platforms and aircraft. We have all it takes.”
Referring to the prospects in the manufacturing and technology sectors, the vice president expressed that optimism that MSMEs in technology and manufacturing, especially in the clean energy or green economy, deserve special mention.
He said: “I am convinced that this sector will be crucial in global industrial development in the coming years and will leapfrog Nigeria to economic prosperity.”
The vice president commended some of the winners. “The third is the Clintonel Advanced Engineering Centre, Access Bank MSME of the Year Award winner, founded by Tochukwu Clinton Chukwueke. The company builds high precision parts, moulds, medical equipment, and auto engine parts,” he added.
He described the company’s work as “The building block for a true industrial revolution in Nigeria”. Clintonel Innovation Centre, Nigeria’s first makerspace (Engineering-focused Tech Hub), started in 2017 in Aba, Abia State, as a passion to support indigenous innovations and technology development.
The vice president reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to support small businesses by providing the enabling environment for them to thrive.
He said the improvement in the value of prizes given to the winners from an initial one car star prize in 2018 for the winner to 10 cars to winners was to underscore the significant improvement that had been built between the private sector and the Federal Government over the years.
Osinbajo announced that arrangements had been made for the establishment of an MSME Shared Facility projects comprising the Kaduna State Tomato Paste Production Hub and the Ogun State refurbished Adire market.
“Other facilities are being established in Gombe, Bauchi, Kebbi, Ebonyi, Delta, Nasarawa, Ekiti, Abia and Kano states,” he added.
Prizes were presented to winners in the various categories, including states, namely: the Best State in Shared Facility Award for Edo; Best State in Fashion Award for Imo; Best Emerging State in Innovation Award for Borno and Best State in MSME Policy Award for Ogun.
-The Nation
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Tags: MSMEs SON Yemi Osinbajo
