By Ameachi Prosper
Asaba: The Delta State Government yesterday said it has taken steps in the right direction to ensure that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), South South Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC) is domicile in the state.
Expectedly, the state government had in the past three weeks been interfacing with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure the possibility of EDC in the state after a crucial meeting held in Asaba last week Monday with top officials in the state South South states and the Delta State government at the office of the Executive Secretary, Delta State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (DSMSMEDA) Mrs Shimite Bello.
Instructively, Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC) in the state is currently a tripartite agreement between the CBN, the South South States and the implementing Agency’s shield Academy Partners Limited, when fully established would enhance participants’ access to fund, facilitate their access to government registration of their businesses, facilitate regulatory requirements to making it a seamless approach, among others.
Speaking to journalists, the Executive Secretary, Delta State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (DSMSMEDA), Mrs Shimite Bello described the efforts as a welcomes development, adding that the state government was Kean to partner with the CBN in that direction.
Her words; “The CBN through the office of the Development Finance Scheme reasoned that it is important that they should begin to support activities of the states aimed at facilitating entrepreneurship by supporting micro enterprises in the states, this came as a result of client’s illiteracy and inability to manage cash, the CBN has six of these centres across the state, one each of the geo-political zones, in the South South geo-political zone”.
Mrs Bello noted that the programme is in tandem with the state government’s SMART Agenda initiative, would go a long way in boosting the job and wealth creation vision of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa led administration, disclose that over 500 persons were already benefiting in the skill acquisition centres.
