Atiku pledges 10billion USD for SMEs
By Obiajulu Uwadone Nio
The Presidential Candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has promised to inject 10 billion Dollars into the Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, sector of the economy, if voted into power, saying the sector is key to moving any economy forward and as such he wants to tackle the problem of capital head on.
This was disclosed to journalists during a panel discussion organized by an arm of the PDP Presidential Campaign, identified as “The Nigerian Business Community for Atiku / Okowa 2023 Campaign” held at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Speaking at the event which centered on sourcing the proposed funds, its effective utililization, facilitation of collaboration among experts and stakeholders, as well as broader business and economic issues, the Deputy National Secretary of the group, Sam Aibona, explained that the funds would be disbursed as capital for small and medium scale businesses. He noted that previous governments, including the present one have been disbursing funds but have not achieved the real purpose.
Aibona who noted that skill is more important than money, explained the need for Nigerians to engage in skill acquisition programs that would broaden their capacity.
Identifying disbursement as a major challenge in achieving the stated objectives, the panellists recommended that a dedicated agency should be egaged to manage the funds through effective disbursement, training and mentorship.
Participants at the panel discussion moderated by a Brodcast journalist, Yemisi Lanre – Idowu included: a Real Estate expert, Kunle Ademola Sadiq, a Fintech Merketing Consultant, Ladi Ogunseye, Investment Banker and Columnisr,Joseph Edgar, a Finance and SME specialist Idowu Jacob and Abubakar Bamai, an Agric Consultant and software engineer.
