SMEDAN pledges support for female entrepreneurs
In a bid to grow more businesses, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria {SMEDAN} has unveiled a new brand to reposition the agency towards achieving its mission of job creation, rural industrialization, and livelihood enhancement through sustainable development of the Small and Medium Enterprises {SMEs} sub-sector.
Speaking in Abuja, the Director General of SMEDAN, Charles Odii said that the new brand aims to ensure prosperity for small business owners, especially women, who constitute over 70% of SMEs in the country.
Odii emphasized that the decision to unveil the brand on International Women’s Day underscores the agency’s commitment to women’s empowerment.
According to a statement by the DG’s media Unit, the agency is responsible for the transition of Nano businesses into micro, micro into small, and small into medium, ”we understand the importance of change and progress. Not just for the sake of it, but because adaptation and evolution are crucial for relevance and impact.
“We want to clearly communicate our purpose, strengthen our bond with the entities that we serve, and the local and international stakeholders we collaborate with for success. More importantly, we want to reassure SMEs that we are here for their prosperity”.
The DG further explained that “we have created a brand that is closer to the people, modern in its outlook, approachable in its demeanour, and vibrant in its spirit. The backbones of our economy deserve to be catered for by an agency that mirrors the excellence they showcase daily.
“We made the deliberate choice to announce this on International Women’s Day because of the significance of women to our prosperity mission. Women are responsible for almost 75% of SMEs in the country, and they have also distinguished themselves as investment multipliers, on whose backs and hard work the economy rests.”
“As part of our commitment, SMEDAN is rededicating itself to the empowerment of women, ensuring that they get deserved support and recognition for their productivity and contributions. We will start this at home, with the women of SMEDAN, many of whom have invested decades of their lives into building stronger roots for the pillars that hold the Nigerian economy. The new SMEDAN will spotlight them, provide them with the tools and resources to create more impact, and achieve personal progress.”
“While we will continue to deliberately create growth and opportunities for women, none will be left behind. Our pledge to SMEs remains. We will enable growth and prosperity, offer guidance, provide resources, connect them to opportunities, and ensure workforce support” he stated.
The DG noted that “SMEDAN-20 encouraged big dreams, small starts, and fast growth but SMEDAN 2.0 is about prosperity: for the Nigerian businessperson and the country at large.
While celebrating International Women’s Day, the Director of the Partnership and Coordination Department, Mrs Omube-Pepple Linda said SMEDAN is committed to supporting businesses of women in the country to grow and expand.
