SMEDAN’s funding crisis undermines support for SMEs — Senior Officer reveals

By Saka Laaro, Ilorin

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has identified insufficient funding as a significant obstacle to fulfilling its duties effectively. This issue is largely attributed to inadequate budget allocations.

As a result, many Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have grown disillusioned with the agency, impacting SMEDAN’s ability to serve its stakeholders effectively.

During the ongoing annual Press Week organized by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kwara State Council, Adava Oyiza Ometere, a Senior Administrative Officer at SMEDAN, discussed these challenges.

Speaking at the Pinnacle Hotel in Offa, Ometere highlighted that the current funding limitations have hindered the agency’s ability to engage with grassroots communities.

Ometere explained, “We run numerous programs, but our reach to the grassroots is limited due to financial constraints.”

She also noted that the public often faces difficulties accessing information about federal government policies relevant to their interests.

Addressing the broader challenges facing SMEDAN, Ometere called on the federal government to enhance capacity building efforts to better monitor SME development.

In light of the current economic difficulties, she encouraged business operators to persevere, stating, “Do not be discouraged; this challenging period will soon pass.”