SMEDAN unveils dedicated desk for women, youth empowerment

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has launched a dedicated desk aimed at empowering women and young people through targeted programs.

The desk will also see to the implementation of inclusive measures to accelerate the growth of the MSME sub-sector.

Charles Odii, the director general of SMEDAN, and Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, minister of women affairs, unveiled the dedicated desk at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday.

In his address, Odii emphasised the multiplier effect of investing in women and highlighted SMEDAN’s commitment to women’s empowerment through various initiatives.

According to him, these initiatives focus on increasing women’s access to capital, tools, training, and markets to enhance production quality and competitiveness.

“Our focus on women is a data-driven decision. We consider them crucial drivers of our mission to create prosperity,” he said.

“They are investment multipliers and constitute the majority of SME owners in the country. Grants provided to women yield economic benefits and enhance living standards, transforming communities and elevating households.

“The newly established desk will coordinate efforts to democratize access to finance for women, provide tailored training, and ensure proportionate inclusion in all SMEDAN programs.”

On her part, Kennedy-Ohanenye commended SMEDAN for prioritising women and expressed her ministry’s readiness to partner in championing the causes of female SME owners to achieve President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda to eliminate poverty and promote inclusive growth.

She pledged to collaborate with SMEDAN to equip female entrepreneurs with modern tools across various fields to raise their production standards and increase profits.

Following the desk unveiling, the minister inspected SMEDAN’s common facility centre, equipped with industrial sewing machines and other tailoring tools available for use by women in the area.

Odii assured Nigerians that Women in other parts of the country are set to enjoy similar benefits as SMEDAN commences the revamp of industrial development centres and hubs in strategic locations across Nigeria.