ITF partners Brazil, China, Germany, others to lift MSMEs

The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has partnered with Brazil, Germany and China, among others to develop Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) to boost Nigeria’s economy.

This follows efforts to actualise the country’s Industrial Revolution Plan.Director General of ITF, Joseph Ari, who disclosed this at the launching of third phase of MSMEs with the theme: Nationwide MSMEs Clinic for Viable Enterprise by the Plateau State Micro Finance Development Agency said MSMEs was the direction to go if the country was to attain development.

“In ITF, we have gone to all nations of the world, especially Brazil, Germany, Singapore, China and the United Kingdom (UK). We have discovered that they fall back on MSMEs to develop their economies and we are in partnership with them.

“That is why we say this is the only direction to go if we are to take our country to the next level,” he said.He pointed out that the ITF has commenced training of youths in the 36 states of the federation in various field of endeavors in line peculiarities of their respective states.

He added that the ITF would provide the skills component, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) would provide entrepreneurship component, while the Bank of Industry (BoI) will provide finance.

“We have just concluded the training of 500 SMEs in 18 states, and we are going to the remaining states as from September. “The aim is to ensure that they set up businesses of their own and become employers of labour. If we can train 500 per state and 200 set-up their own and become employers of labour, we would have achieve something,” he added.

Ari implored Nigerians to partner with the Federal Government in this regard adding that President Mohammadu Buhari’s economic agenda was focused on taking the country to the next level and provide jobs.

Special Adviser to the Vice President on MSMEs, Tola Johnson, said the essence of the One Shop MSME programme was to provide information for business development in Plateau and help youths with business ideas.

Also, Secretary to Plateau State Government, Rufus Bature, enjoined the people of the state to take advantage of the programme to boost their enterprises.