FRJDAY. MAY II, 2012
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industrY-~____~_ FG unveils strategies to reposition SMEs t...yi Adeloye HEFederalGoJVemment has commented moves to reposition the Small and Medium En IeJ'] rise subsector in Nigflria as growth driver.; for thl' economy. The Minister of Trade and Inve:stmfnt. Mr Olusegun Agal1gn, who disclosed this on Thursday, said with the m )\Ie, SMEs in Nigena ...'Culd soon become vibrant enough to drive the n:quind level of growth in the ect'nomy. He spoke wh Ie briefing journalists on ule sidelines of the World Economic Forum meetin!:!, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Thursday, attOldin!: to a statement by the ministry. Aganga 58i<' in the last one year 01 President Goodluck !onathan's administration, the results of new SME Pf,licies and schemes, in terms of job creation, had silown that. if !:iYen Ule necessaTY support, SMEs would provide the .oundation for sustainabh' growth and poverty all,oyjation in Nigeria.. He, therefort. said that the priority of tle Ministry of Trade and 100"·!Stmenl, at present, was theflM Esector and its growth, noting. that the ministry had pul plans in pla~ to remo'-"!' the major banil rs 10 SME growth, inclu- ling the
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diffitulty in gaining aa:ess to affordable finance, low level of business support and high cost of operation, to boosl the d~elopment of the sub+sector. The minister said a committee, comprising experts in the different rlelds rel3.tinr; to the major boltlenet:ks in the sector, was already being set up lo ensure that the country achieved a turnaround before the end of this administration. He added that vehicles had already
been treated 10 achie\'e this goal. "Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises remain the batkbone of the d~'elopment of any economy and th~ driving fol'tt of national growth. In Nigeria, Ulere are currently O'o'er 11 million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the country, employmg over 31 million NigeriallS. Theyaccount for O'o'erBo percent of the total number of in
cent of the total workforce," Aganga said. "But their contribution to the nation's Gross Domestic Produtt is still relativeJy low. due to major constraints in the operaling environment, which have limited their abilities to treate jobs and periornl the vital role of enhancing economic growth and development, ~ he added, noting that in Ihe next three years, 'Nigerians should SMEs with
H~ said, already, a nalional database had been de\'Cloped in partner.;.hip with the National Bureau of Statistics. which was the fir.;t slep in the effective tackJing of the problems of the sector. According 10 him, there will also be a national SME Policy that will address the major problems in lhe sector. He said the Bank of Industry was already matching state
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Nigerian farmers, others to benefit from $7ID facility Layi Adelo)'!: ARMERS In Kenya, Ethiopia. Nigeria, Ugard<! and Ghana, Tanzama ~ to bene6t from a $7ffi farility under the BiD &Melillda Gates Foundation's Commercial Products Projec One, the 100emationaJ l1!..stitule for tropica1 Agnculture. has said. Accordin, to 11 statement the iOlemational from researclJ inslltute on Tuesday. fannrrs in six African collntm, including Kenya. Nizeria. Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania wtll ~nefit from the Phase Two of project
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(COMPRQ-D).
The Director (or Natural Resource Manatement and Central Africa Project, UTA, Dr. Bernard Var,lauwe, was quoted as dlstlooing this recently. The COMPRO.. II project 15 a $]m grant from the Bill &Melind1 Gates
governments on SMEs and deepening financing penetration. using microfinance banks. Th~ minister said his mmistry had also bezun regular interaction wilh SME desks o( banks to d~'elop unconventional bill workable means of providing affordable finance. (or SME growth. He said, "For instance, we have started getting round collateral issues ~Iated with funding through cross·guarantees by membersof cooperatives and setting up special inlervention funds for critical sectors such as teJ:tile:s. ·We are implementing tM One--I.ocal· Government·One· product initiati~ to open up the roral areas for industrial d~lopment, employmenl generation and wealth creation; and we are parmenng tht: Lagos Business School to develop Busme5S Support
Foundation, which aims to institutiona.lise qUlllity assurance mechanisms and focilitale Ihe rapid dissemination of top quillity agricultural commercial products to increase yields and impl'O\'e the food security of smaJUlolder fanners in the region. By design, UTA is to lmd tbe projm. working in IXlfljunction with otbes- bodies, like the Afriau1 AgricuJturni Tedmology Fowxbtion, AlliancelOraGreen~ution
Soil Health Farm InlM Promotions), the 1'ropical SoIl Biology and Fertility Rmr.-ardJ
in
Africa
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Progrnmme,
AreaoftitelntematiooalCentre for 1'ltIpIr::aI. AgriwIIure,. the Centre b Apiculurnl Inlemiltional, BioIrience 11llM!rnities, oatiooal resean::h organisations. extension organisations and quality OOfltrol entities in the ~ target countries. LITA's Director-Qmernl, Dr Ntemnya S.,nginga,
was reccnlly quoted as sa}ing. -nu~ plan is to raise awareness among 0'\'Cf two million smallholder fanners on effective and profilable commercial products by 2016, lhrough public-private partnership." Of these households, 420,000 are 6peded to ha\'C tesled al least one effective conunercial product. and at least, 50 per tenl of these will have adopted the technology and achieve between 15 and 30 per tent yield increase with sobstantial impacts on food security and int'Otne. ~ key expected ouloome of the project is the institutionalisation of screening and appl'O\-al of oommen:ial products: the Senior Programme Officer with the 8ill & Melind<! Gales Foundalion, Prem Wamor, was quoled as saying. In the last di!'catle, sub-SaharanMnaI haswilne:s.<led
economic: growth amid population increases and rising demand for food. CongequentIy, in\'1!Stments III SOIl £CrUlily have become indispensable to increase il;gricultural productivity, and act:e'!5loagricullurnlinpulSis required to achieve this goal.
But more than baving aCttSS to inpu15. quality assurance of agricultural inputs is of ulmost importance to protect farmers, retailers. wholesalers, and importers, and 10 minimise health and environmental hazanl.s.
Other efforts, he said, included de\'e!oping small hydropower plants in strategic areas, where they could sel"'e SMEs; trealing financial indusion by setting aside speci!!l fuoding schemes for women and mechanics; and establishing integrated industrial paruto enhance the productivity and profitability of SMEs; among other.;. In a meeting Wlth the Dira:lor-General, World Trade Orpnisarion, Mr. Pascal [.amy, Aganga also reileratedthegovemmenl's commitment to deepening regional trade, saying il would open many doors for Nigeria in tenns of job creation.
Unilever introduces new brands of Knorr Nlke Popoola T TNTLEVER Pic, makers U Knorr Cube and other bousehokI. products, has introduc:ed two new seao;oninp, Knorr Strw and Knorr Soup, 11110 the
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Managing Director, Unile\w, Mr. Thabo Mabe. sail thai tl1e;e new seasoning mme in powdered form and were made ..;tl1 16 nutrients. During the inauguration in Laiosoo Thesday , Malle said. -ntis is p;u1 of our effort at imPfUl'in& bealth and making, rooking easier for Nigerians. • Ao:onling to him, imtead 01' kding, for aU 50Its of
ingredients 10 rook.. differenl nutrients ha~ been padmged togetherintheKnorrpowders. whichgiVl!aSlnm&ammaalld taste and impn1'o'e the health of consumers. TIle managing dil\D:OI" said that the company has passion for improo.ing quality of foods and ensuring that what.eYer it pnxlucal brought va1uetoN"'~
"We intn;dncm tv.v brnnds ofS7JPaOO.stew, the passion rJ bodisOl.1r~andldping
people 10 ef1iay it, ensuring that wha~ WIC make brings a better- N"'1gl'ria.: heron Marteting Director, Mr. David ~ sail thaL
in Um~, rc<il!:ilI'd! inlO amsumetS' needs was a continuous tJllnr; for the finn.. He said, "We are into mntinuou:s consumer's
studies,. so eac:h time we sec a need in consumer neM5. ~ respond 10 it by meeting this need, and providilll the mix that is exciting to them." Aa:ording 10 him, tbe newly introducal seasonings are suitable for all types or cooking. The seasoning powde!-. he added h.'ld been formulated with 16ofthefinl'StJngredients to bring oul the besI taste in oooJcin&, while pl'O\iding great nutrients forpxl health.