NASRDA, MSME Forum Sign Agreement For Provision of Digital Solutions

The Board of Trustees (BOT) of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Business Membership Organisations in Nigeria, MSME Forum,  has signed a Memoradum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA), for the provision of digital solution to fast track operations.

The MOU, among others, is to create a database of MSME in Nigeria in order to bridge the existing data gap, and will contain information such as the list and profile of the BMOs, the MSME and other stakeholders for the benefit of users.

The database will also collect, analyse and convert data to usable form for planning purposes; capture data of operators in all sectors of the nation’s economy irrespective of location and further contain such data for a population of MSME, which is nearly 40 million enterprises with the ability to accommodate possible increase.

Other opportunities by the Geoapps will include the following; Create a market component that describes MSME products/service, demand/supply dynamics and create enhanced opportunity to sell, promote, and advertise products and services.

It would illustrate different lines of businesses in each sector and showcase their value chains/mode of operations as well as promote industrial attachments opportunities whereby the upcoming businesses can gain access to bigger companies or large Corporations for practicals and hands on learning.

Geoapps will provide information on financing opportunities/types, conditionality and necessary checklist for each group/association of MSME’s to access funding, and establish a platform for enhanced ancillary opportunities such as product and quantity.

Also, it would showcase areas for support of MSME’s sector by development Organisations, the private sector and other stakeholders in the industry, in addition to developing a systematic business report from BMOs that will transfer and reform the MSME’s approach to investment initiatives.

The Chairman, Board of Trustees, Dr. Albert Olajide Akinyemi, in a message to the occasion, thanked the management of the Research Agency for believing in the vision of the body for the growth and development of the MSME sector and keying into it with the MOU.

He said, “I am not surprised that yours is the first MOU to be signed, being a strategic partner”.

Dr. Akinyemi explained that from his experience as a former leader of National Association of Small Industrialists  (NASI), some of the businesses neither have nor keep records of their operations, which has denied them of any form of support and make their businesses unattractive to financial institutions.

According to him, the signing of the MoU, speaks volumes about the quality of men and women at the helms of affairs in the research agency.

Dr. Akinyemi commended all members of the technical committee, who participated in the draft of the document and laboured to make the event a reality.

The BOT Chairman, represented by the President of the Forum, Alhaji Ibrahim Garba Gusau, hinted that more MoUs will soon be signed with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investments, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.

Responding, the Director General, National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Halilu Ahmad Shaba, expressed his joy at the event, saying it represents what Science and business can achieve if there is cooperation.

He called on all other agencies both private and public to collaborate with the agency, adding that if science cannot work for business, science is useless.

Also speaking at the event, the Managing Director, GEOAPPS PLUS Limited, the commercial outfit of the Agency that will execute the MoU, Dr. Jeb David, assured of his preparedness to work with the FORUM in order to provide digital solutions to the members under the umbrella body.

Present at the occasion were: Mr. Joseph Attah, Chairman, Technical Committee on Inauguration; Dr. Francis Alaneme, Chairman, subcommittee on Programme and Strategy; Engr. Maryvse Ogba, Chairman, subcommittee on Logistic and Protocol, and Mr. Segun Adeleke, Chairman, subcommittee on Media and Publicity.

Others were: Mr Taiwo Shobajo, Chairman, subcommittee on Monitoring and Evaluation, and Ms Biodun Bukky, the Assistant Secretary.