The Director-General the Cross River State Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency (MEDA), Mr. Great Ogban has said the season of sweetness will be positively impactful on entrepreneurs in the state, as the Governor (Prince) Bassey Otu will strengthen the business community in the state and make it viable.
Mr. Ogban said the governor’s objectives for the business community known during his visit to the state secretariat of Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME) in Calabar, as part of his assessment tour aimed at having personal engagement with business owners in the state to know their challenges and how government can offer solutions through his agency.
In a welcome address, Mr. James Alicha, chairman of NASME, welcomed the MEDA boss to their secretariat, applauded the governor for appointing a man who has vast knowledge of the business community in the state, and described the appointment of Mr. Great Ogban as fitting for the agency, adding that NASME is an umbrella body for small and medium scale enterprises that was founded by the Central Bank of Nigeria and Bank of Industry for the organizing of small and medium businesses in Nigeria.
He mentioned that NASME is committed to growing the economy of Cross River State, which is why they are advocating for promotion of SME activities in the state for revenue generation, enumerating part of the entrepreneurs’ challenges to include lack of access to funds and cost of acquiring funds.
The NASME women leader, Dr. Ekaete Vincent also appealed for support through loans and grants to women, as they mostly operate the nano business in the state. Same was also done by the youth leader, Mr. Declan Ogar, who stated that the youths are the drivers of every economy and as such need government support to make them proactive in the entrepreneurial sector.
The MEDA boss, Mr. Ogban further applauded NASME for keeping afloat the business commercial environment in the state, and assured them of partnership with his agency for the delivery of Governor Bassey Otu’s vision, which is strengthening the business sector and making it viable. He noted that his agency has a strategic plan that will be developed to accommodate the digital and creative sector in the state, as the government will also give out loans and grants to support business owners to upscale their businesses.
