BENIN-CITY/Nigeria: The Vice President, Prof Yomi Osinbajo, had reiterated the desires of the federal government to promote the growth of small businesses in Nigeria.
The Vice President made this known over the weekend during the commissioning of the Edo State Shared Facility which is for leather work production.
Speaking at the occasion, Prof Osinbajo stated such facilities had been commissioned in Lagos, called Eko MSME Fashion Hub 1 (one) which services about 300 tailors and fashion designers daily.
He stated that similar facility had also been commissioned at, Anambra State, situated in Ogbunike, Oyi, meant for shoemaking, with industrial equipment and machines within close proximity of the Anambra shoe-makers, and the Imo State Shared Facility in Owerri, which is dedicated to fashion and comprises 200 world class manual and fully automated fashion equipment.
He pointed out that the Shared Facility commissioned is among the several that would be built across all States of the Federation, the Vice President restated plans to commission the next Shared Facilities in eight other States: Kaduna, Kebbi, Ogun, Ebonyi, Kano, Katsina, Ekiti and Bauchi.
“The planned Shared Facilities in these States would cater for various segments of the MSMEs sector, including agriculture, textile production and fashion design, footwear and leather works.” He stated.
The Vice President, who extended “President Muhammadu Buhari’s warm regards to the government and industrious people of Edo State,” commended the MSME partners and agencies for their contribution in birthing the project.
“It is also our expectation that our MSME partners will ensure that final products from here meet global standards and are fit for export to the rest of the world,” he added.
Prof. Osinbajo further noted that “as it is with other Shared Facilities commissioned, this Shared Facility will be run by a competent private sector firm while the Federal and State Governments keep a constant eye on its activities to ensure it achieves its set objectives.”
In his remarks, Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki thanked the Federal Government and Vice President for supporting development initiatives in the State.
After the commissioning of the Facility, the VP also attended the graduation of Edo State Government Tech Park where Governor commended the Vice President for sowing the seed that has produced the take-off of the Park.
The VP performed the laying of the foundation for the permanent site of the Park. There Governor Obaseki told the VP that “three years ago when you gave us the first innovation hub in the South-South, that mustard seed you sowed that day is what you saw at the take-off campus of the Tech Park, which you visited and met the first set of graduands. And that deed is what has brought us here this afternoon and has germinated to reflect where we want to be as a people.”
Besides the Vice President and the Governor, today’s events were also witnessed by the Deputy Governor of Edo State Comrade Philip Shaibu and the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba who accompanied the Vice President to Edo State.
