By Franklin Alli

The Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, has vowed to make the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector of the economy to become vibrant like their counter parts in China, Japan and the United States, by the year 2012.

The Minister gave this assurance when he unfolded what he wants to achieve as the Minister of Trade and Investment over the next four years (2011-2015). “We want to have a very strong SMEs sector in the next one year.

The Permanent Secretary, Dr. Abubakar Muhammad, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, Minister of State, Dr. Samuel Ortom and unido country representative, Mr. Patrick Kormawa during the visit of unido officials to the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.

We have started the process by providing about $500 million through the Bank of Industry (BOI) and EXIM Bank.  We are working with Lagos Business school Council which has a very robust and effective programme where they take entrepreneurs through programmes to understand how to start and run business.

“They will work with Banks with those who have good bankable business ideas and access to funds through BOI and EXIM Bank.  Once that model works we will get other Banks to participate in this.

The whole idea is for the Lagos Business School to work with the 23 Industrial Centers we have under this Ministry and parastatal (SMEDAN). I am going to form a committee which will eventually turn to council and become advocate for SMEs sector across the country,” he said.

The Minister, has, therefore, enjoined the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) for technical and financial collaboration in the area of investment promotions, trade facilitation, industrial clusters, textile, skills development and SMEs. “I believed with the assistance of UNIDO, a lot would be achieved in these areas.”