By Vivian Emoni

The Head of Civil Service of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mrs Grace Adayilo, says the MSMEs One Stop Shop initiative will enhance and strongly support small businesses in the country.

Adayilo said this at the 5th Abuja Enterprise Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Expo in Abuja.

She commended the efforts of the Management of Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA) for organising the expo, adding that the commitment has sustained the territory’s development.

According to her, this is in line with the President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, being championed in FCT by the Minister, Nyesom Wike.

She said that the MSMEs One Stop Shop was an initiative of the government to support MSMEs, with the aim of providing easy interaction between regulatory agencies and MSMEs across the country.

She said that the SME Expo had explored partnerships and created opportunities to enhance investment across the country.

Adayilo, who was represented by her Personal Assistant, Mrs Olaide Yongo, said that over the years, AEA had served as FCT’s special purpose vehicle for various SME initiatives like the expo.

She said that the AEA had also successfully implemented the FCT-CARES programme, under Nigeria’s COVID-19 economic recovery efforts, as well as engaged the One Village, One Product (OVOP) initiative.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that theme of the expo was, “Leveraging Financial Opportunities and Strategies to Mobilise Funding for Sustainable Growth”.

According to Adayilo, the theme is both timely and strategic.

“It focused on financial tools, investment strategies and collaborations to unlock capital and promote sustainable development.

“Beyond funding, the expo is a vibrant space to build networks, explore partnerships, and connect with distributors, customers and export markets,” she said.

Adayilo urged participants at the expo to fully engage and ensure that the programme enhanced their businesses.

She appreciated the FCT minister, corporate partners and sponsors for their unwavering support in making the event a success.

She said that their steadfast commitment to enterprise development, youth empowerment and inclusive economic growth had impacted greatly on SMEs in the FCT.

The Acting Managing Director, AEA, Dr Chudi Ugwuada-Ezirigwe, said that the expo was planned to improve the competitiveness of Nigerian SMEs and promote industrialisation.

Ugwuada-Ezirigwe said that it had also stimulated investment in digital technologies and strategically positioned made-in-Nigeria products in the African and global markets.

He said that the theme reflected the increasing need to empower SMEs with information, tools and strategies to access funding.

According to him, harnessing these opportunities demands a collaborative commitment from all stakeholders in the SME ecosystem which is made up of financial institutions, investors, policymakers and development partners.

“It is only through collective effort that we can create an enabling environment that promotes entrepreneurship and sustainable growth.

“The spirit of this expo is that it helped to gather various people together. At this time that we are together, we should be able to strategically position ourselves to run the expo quarterly,” he said.

Ugwuada-Ezirigwe said that the agency had successfully organised four previous editions with over 1,200 enterprises showcasing their goods and services to an estimated 11,000 visitors.

“The ongoing edition, just as the past ones, has featured impactful activities such as business clinics, symposia, interactive panel discussions and business advisory sessions,” he said.

He called on the exhibitors and participants to see the expo as an opportunity to expand their markets, work and cross fertilise ideas and innovations. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Esenvosa Izah/Kadiri Abdulrahman