The Oyo State government is taking a significant step to establish a database encompassing entrepreneurs and artisans across all 33 local government areas.
Demola Ojo, the Commissioner for Trade, Investment, and Cooperatives, emphasized the importance of this database in ensuring that entrepreneurs and artisans can efficiently access benefits allocated by both the state and federal governments. He expressed concern over individuals avoiding inclusion in the database due to tax concerns.
Ojo urged entrepreneurs to recognize the advantages, particularly the potential access to government-funded opportunities. He cited the recent establishment of a N500 million loan for Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs) as a response to the fuel subsidy removal.
He also mentioned that this database would expedite the allocation of such funds. In addition, the government plans to collaborate with the Ibadan Entrepreneurs Network to construct its own comprehensive database of entrepreneurs and artisans.
Oyenike Adeleke, the convener of the Ibadan Entrepreneurs Network, emphasized that the goal is to facilitate networking among entrepreneurs and artisans across all 33 local government areas of the state. This initiative aims to foster interactions among diverse business enterprises, ultimately contributing to the growth of both individual businesses and the state’s economy.
