Fubara Inaugurate MSMEs Council in Rivers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Governor of Rivers State, Simnalayi Fubara has officially inaugurated the Rivers State Council on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

Inaugurating the council yesterday in Port Harcourt, Fubara noted the impact of small and medium businesses in the development of a nation.

He said his led government is strongly committed to industrialising the state for economic growth and development, adding that the focus is to boost job creation, reduce poverty, and enhance the state’s revenue through diversified economic activities beyond its traditional reliance on oil and gas.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Lawson Okuru, Governor Fubara said the state government under his watch has initiated several programs to support SEMs, including “Rivers State Microfinance Agency, Rivers State Employment and Empowerment Program, Business Development Program.”

Stressing that various reforms have been put in place by the state government to simplify the process of starting and running business in the state, Governor Fubara charged the council to tackle challenges affecting MSMEs and ensure the live of the council successfully last long.

In his welcome address, the South-South Zonal Coordinator, SMEDAN, Mr Egbuna Iloba, said the Inauguration of the council represents an important landmark in the development of the subsector in the state.

Speaking on the theme of event, “Creating a public-private dialogue platform that will deliver optimal benefits for MSME development,” Iloba noted that MSMEs sector remains the engine for critical economic growth a d poverty reduction globally.

On her part, Olalekan Rashidat, Rivers State Manager, SMEDAN said MSMEs councils have been inaugurated in several states in the federation, adding that they are in collaboration with Non Governmental Organisations, development partners like the British council and others in the drive for economic development.

“The MSMEs council is spur to create public, private dialogue on the platform to develop the MSMEs through various interventions and sources of finance like grants, low interest schemes, conditional grant schemes, low interest loans and also providing business advisory services for small businesses within the Niger Delta region,” Olalekan added.