The Executive Council of the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (NASME), on Wednesday, commended Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State, for the post-Covid-19 economic recovery programme of the State.
NASME commended the Oyetola-led government for the actual and potential contributions of the economic programme, part of which was identified as creation of 15,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The Deputy President (South) of the Association, Otunba Yeye Gbemisola Oduntan, who led an eight-man delegation on a courtesy call to the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, expressed the desires of the Association for its members in Osun to benefit more from other laudable initiatives of the government.
She said: “On our part, we will ensure we put a track eye on our members to ensure that they fulfill their obligations, especially the speedy repayment of seed loans, so that they can access more scalable projects as we deepen our relationship with the state government”, Oduntan said.
In her remarks, the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs Funke Egbemode, commended the delegation, adding that it was the kind of team Governor Oyetola would love to visit the state government.
“NASME is an established partner in development, and its visit at this time is strategic, because Governor Oyetola is working hard for the State to change its reputation and move from the level of being called a civil service state.
“He is determined to make it happen and he is working assiduously to change the narrative. That was why in November 2019, we had the Economic and Investment Summit to make a bold statement that Osun is safe and hospitable, open and ready for business.
“We have started reaping the dividends of the Econonic and Investment Summit. For instance, we have Segilola Gold Project operating in the State already.
“We want more people to come into the State and tap into the different levels of value-chains so that we can continue to generate employments. We are desirous of building the next generation of millionaires and reputable business men.
“When it comes to the Small and Medium-scale Enterprises, Governor Oyetola has put structures in place, especially through strategic appointment, to ensure that people are empowered and that more and more young people are drawn in, especially into the agricultural sector”, Egbemode said.
Founded in 1996, NASME presently operates in 30 states of the federation, and is driven by the mandate of coordinating and promoting the growth of the MSME sub-sector of the country.
It is the apex body that coordinates the activities of MSMEs in the country.
