Lagos State Government pledges continued support to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), particularly in the agribusiness sector.
Abisola Olusanya, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, gave the assurance in Lagos today at the flag-off of the 4th edition of the State Ministry of Agriculture Entrepreneurship Development Institute’s Training Programme.
As represented by Mr Hakeem Adeniji, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture, Ms Olusanya explained that the support was necessary due to the contribution of SMEs to the State’s GDP and their ability to create more value in the agricultural space.
Her words: “I would like to assure you of the constant support of Mr Governor to all SMEs in the State, particularly players within the agribusiness space. He is aware of your immense contribution to the State’s GDP and would like to see you create more value in agriculture”.
“I want to congratulate you for having been selected for this training that would propel you towards your financial empowerment. I charge all Lagos Agricprenuership Programme (LAP) participants to appreciate the resources Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration is investing in you.
There are so many out there craving for the opportunities that have been bestowed upon you on a platter of gold.
Please, I will not want you to take all these for granted. Remember, to whom much is given, much is expected,” the Commissioner averred.
According to her, the EDI is an avenue for micro, small and medium enterprises to access funds allocated by the federal government for small business growth.
One of those funds is the Agricultural Small and Medium Enterprise Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS), an initiative of the Bankers’ Committee and managed by the CBN to support and complement the government’s efforts for agribusiness as a driver of sustainable economic development and jobs.
Consequently, the State Ministry of Agriculture Entrepreneurship Development Institute is one of the few accredited EDIs in Nigeria.
Its curriculum has been designed to cover all functional business areas and agriculture value chains, with a significant focus on guiding participants through the AGSMEIS loan portal.
“The Institute is expected to provide tools, techniques and framework for managing all functional areas of a business enterprise including production, marketing, personnel and finance,” Olusanya opined.
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