Enugu Govt Collaboration With FG Boosts MSMEs
As VP Shettima Inaugurates Business Hub,
Inspects Enugu Mega Projects 
Nigeria’s Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima has commened Enugu state Governor, Dr Peter Mbah for his giant strides in developmental initiatives and execution across the state ,saying the governor “is worthy of emulation by others of equal leadership opportunities”.
The Vice- President gave the commendation , Thursday, 3/10/24 during his One Day official visit to Enugu State for the unveiling of the 5Th Expanded National MSME Clinic, Enugu 2024, Organised by the office of the Vice President in collaboration with Enugu State Government., with the theme, ” Bridging the gap between Government and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
VP Shettima was earlier received by Governor Mbah and other top government officials when he arrived Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu at 12:32pm from where he led the team to ANAMMCO, Emene, where the Vice President inaugurated the Enugu Fashion and Garment Hub.
He further unveiled and inspected the Enugu State Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Clinic and Exhibition Hub at the Old Government Lodge, G.R.A, Enugu .
Speaking at the event, Vice President Shettima described as massive the various developmental projects by Governor Mbah in the areas of education, water, security and road and other physical infrastructure, noting that he was turning the state around through multiple projects across all sectors.
He assured the federal government ‘s support to Enugu State, adding that they will see that Enugu state occupied her rightful position in the country .
He stressed that time for politics was over and assured Federal Government’s readiness to work with visionary leaders across party lines to move the country forward.
“Let us put politics aside. We are now in the phase of development. Politics is over. We have to coalesce into a single force and face the challenges of underdevelopment in our Nation. Governor Peter Mbah means well for the people of Enugu State and he is humble.
“I am specifically enamored of his security project. I am happy for his investment in supplying water to Enugu. Most importantly, education is the greatest changer. Within a generation, the son of a peasant farmer can become a celebrated icon. The investment of Peter Mbah in Smart Schools will yield a bountiful harvest in the coming years.
“If I say I was impressed by what I saw in Enugu, it is an understatement. I was overwhelmed by the giant strides recorded by Governor Mbah and his team. He has embraced modernity. He has embraced digital technology. Most of the things I saw are avant-garde technology, state-of-the-art security infrastructure, and beautiful road network. He is doing excellently well and he is worthy to be emulated by other governors across the length and breadth of this nation.
“He is one of the few CEOs, who are versatile in the potentiality of the Information Technology industry. I want to join all of us here in thanking Governor Peter Mbah for taking charge of the opportunities that abound and incidentally the Minister of Science and Technology is here and he is a son of Enugu. I want you to join forces to see that Enugu occupies its rightful place.
“Enugu is an equivalent of Kaduna and Ibadan. But till the emergence of Governor Peter Mbah, Enugu was sleeping, a town that did not even have water supply.
“Your Excellency, we want to commend and identify with you. We have to sustain that brotherhood and relationship for the good of our people, both in development infrastructure, we can change the narrative from negativity to positivity,” he said.
The Vice President emphasised that MSMEs were critical to economic growth, noting that the garment and fashion hub would serve as “a stepping stone to the economic highways, providing an exchange in support of manufacturing in Enugu State, boosting production capacity and in enabling economy of scale.”
Shettima said the hub was capable of creating about 48,000 jobs and announced a N150,000 outright grant to each of the MSMEs that distinguished themselves during the MSME clinics.
The Vice President who commissioned Enugu State Command and Control centre, Digital Museum in Government House, also inspected the ongoing construction work at the International Conference Centre ( ICC).
Enugu International Conference Centre
In his speech , the Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah said the event was aimed at making MSMEs more resilient and viable.
He noted that the importance of MSMEs to the Nigerian economy cannot be over-emphasised, as almost 90 percent of businesses in the country are small scale.
He restated his administration’s commitment to boosting MSMEs, describing them as the lifeblood of economic growth and thanked the Federal Government for its continued support to Enugu in regard.
Governor Mbah said, “the Expanded National MSME Clinics, organised by the Federal Government in collaboration with Enugu State, provide a dynamic platform for MSMEs to access essential support from government agencies and private sector stakeholders.
“In Enugu State, support for MSMEs is a major commitment. Such support is not half-hearted, nor informed by any desire for public acclaim; but is extensive and sustainable.
“Indeed, our government’s support towards MSMEs’ growth received a major validation when we were conferred with a National MSMEs award in June, by the Office of the Vice President, at a ceremony held in the Presidential Villa.
The governor, who was a recipient of the 2024 MSMEs Awards by the Office of the Vice President, observed that almost 90 percent of businesses in the country were small scale.
“This recognition underlines our commitment to upskill 40,000 youths annually in digital and vocational skills. It also explains the many programmes we have either conceived or embraced to foster the growth of MSMEs in Enugu State.
“But as important as MSMEs may be, their success is no chance occurrence. They thrive only through careful policies that enhance the ease-of-doing-business climate, comprising key enablers like the sustained provision of infrastructure, security, efficient legal and regulatory framework, among others.
. “My government will always remain a willing partner to small businesses. It is clearly in our interest that they survive, because governments prosper when businesses are in good health.
On Enugu Fashion and Garment Hub, he said , “the Hub would play a vital role in fostering innovation, job creation, and global competitiveness, while offering training and resources for the next generation of fashion designers within Enugu State’s creative and manufacturing sectors.”
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, commended the collaborative efforts of the FG and Enugu State to grow MSMEs noting that what he saw at the Enugu State Garment and Fashion Hub was a clear indication that the youths of Nigeria had so much to offer if provided with the right opportunity and environment, “he stated.
Earlier in their welcome addresses, the Special Adviser to Governor Mbah on MSMEs and Digital Economy, Arinze Chilo-Offia, and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation and MSMEs, Temitola Adekunle Johnson, thanked the Federal and Enugu State Governments for the collaboration and support that saw to the success of the initiative.
VP Shettima had during the inspection exhibitions run into an entrepreneur to whom he offered an assistance of (N10m) ten million naira on the discovery that she was financially handicapped in meeting the demands of her business but committed to the enterprise.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Sam Udekwe is a journalist working in the News and Current Affairs department, Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Enugu. He is well trained in all genres of journalistic venture.
Mr Sam read Mass Communication, graduating all with Distinction in National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma at IMT, Enugu and Madonna University, Okija, Anambra state, while he is presently on his M.Sc programme also in Mass Communication, at National Open University of Nigeria.
He is currently the NUJ Chairman, Enugu state.
samowailo@gmail.com
