The Cross River State Governor, Sen. Prince Bassey Edet Otu, has received the 2024 award of the most MSME-friendly Governor of the Year in the Southsouth region by the Federal Government at the National MSME Conference 2024, in Abuja. The award was presented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, on behalf of the President.
The speaker congratulated the Governor for his MSME exploits in the State, staying tops in the region and setting the pace of leadership for others to follow in the sector.
The award presentation was witnessed by the Secretary General of the Federation, Sen. (Dr.) George Akume, the Honorable Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, the Minister of Arts, Culture & Creative Economy, Hon. Hannatu Musawa, and the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Charles Odii.
The award was received by the representative of the Governor, Hon. Paddy Egbede, the State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, who was accompanied by the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of MEDA, Great Ogban, and the Chairman of MEDA Board, Essessien Edem.
Hon. Egbede lauded the organizers of the National MSME Conference whilst stating that the award is a motivation to do more. He added that the State Government has prioritized MSME development as a corridor to economic growth.
The Cross River State Government has in recent times changed the economic landscape of the State by empowering MSMEs with the right resources to boost their businesses, and chief among them is the One Billion Naira commitment to develop MSMEs in the State.
The 2024 National MSME Conference, the brainchild of the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of SMEDAN, is themed ‘Grow Nigerian – Sustaining a digital and innovation-driven economy’, is a clarion call for stakeholders to embrace the power of SMEs in the quest for economic growth.
