The Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Development of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Oyo State, says the implementation of grants and loans for 2023 is ongoing.
SMEDAN manager in the state, Mrs Iyabo Ojogbede, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Monday.
Ojogbede, while speaking on the various government interventions for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), however, said disbursement of grants and loans for 2024 was yet to commence.
She reiterated the agency’s commitment to its mandate of supporting and growing Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to levels where they could thrive.
According to her, the agency is concerned about the present plights of MSMEs, hence the various programmes targeted at the sector.
“We are putting out grants and loans for our nano and micro businesses; also putting loans out for our youths and women.
“We’ve just launched a youth and women’s desk in Abuja so that they can benefit from our different intervention programmes,” Ojogbede said.
She said that programmes such as cluster development for women in cooperatives and associations were still ongoing.
Ojogbede said one of such programmes, where women were trained on capacity building and supported with equipment, was held in February throughout the federation.
According to her, there is also a conditional grant scheme whereby N50,000 is given to support nano businesses.
The agency, she said, had been implementing SMEDAN Sterling Bank Loans with the sum between N250,000 and N2.5 million for all SMEs across the state.
“The requirement is online and once you have registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), you are eligible to apply,” Ojogbede said.
The manager said the agency would continue with its known general intervention programmes in 2024.
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“We are planning to start the 2024 intervention programme; National Business Scheme, Entrepreneurship, and One Local Government One Product for cooperative groups.
“We also have women in self-employment programmes for groups and associations,” she said.
According to her, SMEs complain of no cash or capital to stock materials and equipment, hence the agency’s intervention to support businesses. (NAN)
