Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has said the state is determined to gainfully engage youths in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) to spur industrial growth in the wake of increased investments into the state.
He added that the state government will continue to collaborate with the Federal Government to engage youths and provide enabling environment for SMEs to thrive and drive industrial growth.
Obaseki said this when he received the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar at Government House in Benin City, the Edo State.
Represented by his deputy, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, Obaseki said the state is putting up frameworks to ensure that SMEs form an integral part of the industrialisation drive in the state.
“There is need to support SMEs to encourage industrial growth. The real job opportunities are in SMEs. In Edo State, SMEs are needed to service the industrial park being developed,” he said.
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar, said she was in the state to inspect one of the 23 Industrial Development Centres (IDC) in Nigeria, which is located in Edo.
According to her, “a feasibility study is being carried out by the ministry to assess IDCs across the country. Six of these centres would be resuscitated to encourage development of SMEs.
“As part of the plan to diversify the economy, we need to equip youths to be self-employed. When the IDCs are fully revived, they will serve as clusters for SMEs and boost employment and industrialisation.”