Daily Independent Online.
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Thursday, June 17, 2004.
FG opens data bank for SMEs
By Dan Alo
Correspondent, Lagos
Determined to diversify and refocus the
nation’s economy through the
development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), the Federal Government has
established a data bank with the aim of providing ready-made feasibility
studies to interested enterpreneurs.
The Director-General, Directorate of Small and Medium
Scale Enterprises, Mrs. Dupe Adelaja, disclosed this on Tuesday while visiting
some small-scale industries in Lagos.
She said “the Federal Government is determined
to change the trend of the economy from a mono cultured economy to more dynamic
economy, and the small and medium scale enterprises provide the platform for
such development”.
According to Adelaja, “ we are undertaking a
comprehensive compilation of the SMEs we have in the country through the
creation of this data bank, which will help government’s projection in
terms of assistance provided through funding and supply of technical
assistance”.
She also said if the country developed its SMEs
properly, it would be able to realise as much revenue as what it currently
generates from the oil sector.
The government, she added, was disposed to providing
assistance to the non-oil sector, encouraging individuals willing to set up
small and medium scale industries to approach the directorate with their
proposals and get professional advice and other technical support.
She was particularly impressed with the development
of some beneficiaries of the Federal Government technical assistance, adding
that their success was a clear indication that the goal of government at
refocusing the economy was a reality.
Adelaja explained that SMEs directorate offices
across the federation offer professional and technical assistance to over 1,563
businesses at the moment with the potential of turning these ventures into
foreign exchange earners for the economy.
The small and medium scale directorate team would
also visit various industries in
the northern part of the country with a view to identifying more development potential for the sector.
