Director-General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Mr Dasuki Arabi, disclosed that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are very important in the economy, and government will rely on them to reduce the rate of unemployment in the country.
This statement was made by the Director-General, during a one-day forum organized by the agency in partnership with the Federal Capital Territory Administration and the Civil Society Organizations in identifying service delivery challenges in MSMEs’ interventions.
READ: Unemployment: Senate calls for a state of emergency
According to the press release issued by Aliyu Umar, the Principal Information Officer of the Bureau BPSR, the DG disclosed that the importance of MSMEs can not be overemphasized, given the vital role they play in the economy.
Mr. Arabi who is renowned for his drive-in carrying out reforms, says that the mandate of the agency is to inform Nigerians of reforms and initiatives of the government.
He added that with the recent reforms and initiatives by the government, it is fair enough for the government to rely on MSMEs to reduce the rate of unemployment in the country.
(READ MORE: Union Systems wins Trade Finance Software Solution Provider of the Year Award)
What they are saying
Director-General of Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Mr Dasuki Arabi, said:
“In the light of the #EndSARS protest that was hijacked by hoodlums, we realized there is a need for us to bring the Civil Society Groups together to inform them of the various interventions of government to improve the living standard of the youths and Nigerians in general.
READ: IGR: States make N1.33 trillion in 2019, grows by 14.1%
“We have brought officials of government agencies providing support for SMEs and Nigerians to talk to them, so that we speak one language, understand what the programs are and to guide them and they go out to guide their members on how to benefit from these interventions.
“These interventions are necessary because of the vital role Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs) play in the economy, they are very important in the economy, and government will rely on them to reduce the rate of unemployment in the country.”
READ: Opera launches Opera For Business and announces new partnership with Google My Business
Also speaking at the event was the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), who was ably represented by Mohammed Lawal Abubakar, Director Economic Research and Statistics of the FCT. He said:
“We are going to support all those SMEs because they lost a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic. So, we are working on that. And what we are doing in the FCT is that we are partnering with World Bank, definitely by January we will commence operation.”
READ: 432,000 business applied for FG payroll support, 70,000 shortlisted
He also said the FCTA is using its platform, the Abuja Enterprise Agency, as a means to orientate SMEs on how to get government subventions to boost their businesses. He said:
“As we rightly said, we have a one stop shop. And that is under the purview of the Abuja Enterprise Agency and the initiative is the first of its kind in Nigeria. So it’s just to see how we can bring them together, listen to them and solve their problems. Is like the issue of registration, some of them might not be able to meet up with the demands of those registration issues, so we assist in doing that.”
