The Executive Governor of Zamfara State, Dr Dauda Lawal has assured of his commitment to partner with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to facilitate the development of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs in Zamfara State.
The Governor was at the Corporate Headquarters of SMEDAN on Wednesday, to explore windows of collaboration, in his effort to boost development of Economic activities in the state through a deliberate strategy of making funds and opportunities available to the teeming women and youths in the State.
Dr Lawal noted that Gusau, the Zamfara state capital was once a commercial hub of Northern Nigeria only second to Kano, hosting industries for ginnery, tannery, and other Agro-allied factories with viable farming communities. all over the state
He lamented the state’s current reputation for insecurity and banditry, emphasizing his commitment to reversing the narrative.
The Governor expressed optimism that support for the SMEs remains a veritable tool for economic development anywhere in the world, stating that his visit to SMEDAN was a deliberate effort to derive the benefits of the Agency in order to actualize his dream of making Zamfara a frontline enterprising state in the country.
In his remarks, the Director General of SMEDAN, Mr Charles Odii commended the Governor for his commitment to ensuring that affordable funding is made available to the nano, micro, small, and medium enterprises in the State through counterpart funding.
He equally briefed the Governor on the Grow Nigerian Strategy that seeks to promote support for “Made in Nigeria” goods and services which has been cascaded to 8 sectoral focuses namely; eat Nigerian, wear Nigerian, teach & learn Nigerian, travel Nigerian, listen and watch Nigerian, visit Nigerian, produce Nigerian, innovate Nigerian and patronize Nigerian.
The Governor made a commitment to adopt the Grow Nigerian in Zamfara as a way of promoting the products coming out from the State as well as commit required funds to actualize the proposed counterpart funding for the benefit of MSMEs in the State.
