In a bid to grow the state’s economy through productivity, the Ekiti State Government and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) have collaborated to empower small and medium-scale business owners in the state. The beneficiaries who were drawn across all strata of the state were trained and provided with the financial aid of N50,000 each and materials such as sowing machines, gas cookers, and cameras among others to expand their businesses. Speaking during the event, Ekiti state Governor Biodun Oyebanji reiterated his administration’s commitment to forging strategic partnerships that will uplift the socio-economic status of the state and create economic opportunities for the citizens.
The governor said potentials in the state’s informal sector would be harnessed to achieve his administration’s economic prosperity target through an effective Public Private Partnership initiative. Oyebanji who reiterated his administration’s efforts to support small and medium-sized enterprises through financial aid, training programs, and easier market access, noted that partnering with SMEDAN and other financial institutions is being strengthened to further provide MSMEs in the state with the necessary capital to grow and prosper their businesses. He said many individuals possess the necessary integrity, skills, education, resilience, and work ethic but lack opportunities to showcase their abilities, hence the need to forge partnerships with developm.