By Anthony Maliki, Abuja
The Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, has commended the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME) for its continuous support for the growth and development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria.
He made the remarks Friday in Abuja in a message to the 20th MSMEs International Summit and Exhibition organised by NASME with the theme “Revolutionizing job creation, income generation and poverty reduction through MSME development and growth”.
Represented by Popoola Esther Abimbola, the Minister lends his voice to summit to strengthen MSMEs ecosystem thereby addressing industrial gaps and promoting innovative industrial clusters and incubation systems.
According to him, Nigeria is blessed with a vibrant entrepreneurial population and its MSMEs are the backbone of our economy pointing out that the summit reinforces shared commitment in building a strong, more sustainable and more inclusive economic future.
Senator Enoh noted that MSMEs account for majority of businesses in Nigeria creating millions of jobs across formal and informal sectors stimulating innovations, supporting value chain addition and driving export potentials.
The Minister, however, stressed that their full impact is often constraint inadequate infrastructure, limited access to finance and a weak institutional support system.
NASME President, Dr. Yarima chats with the National Publicity Secretary, Gadafi, left
A cross section of participants at the summit
He said this administration recognises this challenge and remains committed in implementing reforms and interventions that will enables MSMEs to strive in an increasingly competitive global environment.
Senator Enoh explained the focus is to create an enabling ecosystem where MSMEs are empowered to generate employment, drive income growth and reduce poverty.
The Minister disclosed that the ministry is developing incubation centres and industrial clusters that would be key catalysts for sustainable growth and competitiveness providing shared infrastructure, reducing operational costs, enhancing productivity and creating an environment where businesses can innovate, collaborate and scale.
In his goodwill message, the Director General of Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, represented by Mrs. Uduak Udosor, noted that the organisation is excited to join NASME and its development partners in celebrating its 20th summit and exhibition.
He said the gathering is a testament of the resilience, creativity and determination of Nigeria’s micro, small and medium enterprises which remained the backbone of the economy and a vital for job creation, income generation and poverty reduction.
The Director General noted that the theme of the summit is very apt and allied with SON’s commitment with promoting quality competitiveness and innovation.
Dr. Okeke stressed that in SON, they recognise that the growth of MSMEs is not only on innovation, it is also on entrepreneurship and on the assurance of quality.
He commended NASME for their consistency in providing a platform where MSMEs can exchange ideas, forge partnerships and promote their product’s quality.
In his speech, the National President of NASME, Dr. Abdulrashid Yarima noted that the summit is more than a conference, it is a call to rethink how prosperity is built in the nation.
He said the theme of the summit challenges to revolutionise job creation, income generation, and poverty reduction through the growth of MSMEs.
Dr. Yarima pointed out that MSMEs are not just an economic sector, they are a powerful philosophy—rooted in the belief that every citizen has the potential to create, to innovate, and to thrive and reminded that national development begins with the courage and resilience of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
The President said across Nigeria, MSMEs continue to demonstrate that prosperity is created when more people participate in the economy stressing that when small businesses thrive, jobs expand, incomes rise, communities flourish, and poverty recedes.
To achieve this revolution, he said, we must commit to modernising and digitising MSME operations, expanding access to finance, improving quality standards and certifications, reducing multiple taxation and policy bottlenecks, empowering youth and women and integrating MSMEs into regional and global value chains.
Dr. Yarima noted that job creation will not come from waiting for opportunities, but from enabling our people to become job creators and poverty will not be reduced by palliatives alone, but by expanding opportunities for enterprise and sustainable income.
He pointed out that as President of NASME, he reaffirmed it resolved to champion supportive policies, deepen partnerships, and strengthen the capacity of MSMEs to compete locally, regionally, and globally.
According to him, let the summit mark a renewed national commitment—to build a Nigeria where small businesses are empowered, creativity is encouraged, and prosperity is shared by all as MSMEs are not waiting for the future, they are creating it.
Some organisations key to the development of MSMEs in Nigeria presented goodwill messages at the summit. They include, Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), UNIDO, NPF Micro Finance Bank, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Bank of Industry (BoI), and Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), National Credit Guaranty Company among others.
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