Commissioner says 367,000 SMEs register, invest in Niger state

Niger state government has disclosed that about 367,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) had been registered and invested in the state within the corresponding period of 2015 to 2018. This was made known by the state Commissioner of Investment, Cooperatives, Commerce and Industry, Alhaji Mudi Mohammed at a Ministerial Briefing organized by the State Ministry of Information and Strategy. The Commissioner confirmed that the state dominance as the largest and world producer of Shea nut in the globe pointing out that the World Shea nut investment organisations had satisfied the state as a world producer. Alhaji Mudi stated that the state had executed the Garam service site in a N1billion bonded project which had been completed stressing that N 15million was used for the advocacy sensitization of 25 local governments of the state to identified cooperatives and SME’s in the State. The Commissioner further highlighted that N30million was expended to embark on sensitisation tour of CBN SME’s direct funding program. He further revealed that about 40% of 90 units industrial cluster at Sauka Kahuta is ongoing at N233million. Alhaji Mudi explained that 10 Business Incubation Centre were built by UNDP at Sauka Kahuta adding that N2 million was expended for the establishment of Niger Cooperative Financing Agency (NICOFA). He stressed that N5 million was also used to upgrade the Cooperative department office at the Ministry. The Commissioner described Area Cooperative Offices as the key to the ministry’s success were N1 million was expended for the provision of motorcycles, just as recertification and restructuring of cooperative societies was conducted at the sum of N 2 million which is still ongoing. Alhaji Mudi affirmed that Niger State participation in Trade Fair and exhibition from 2015 to 2018 that gulped the sum of N23 million while, about 30 women were sponsored by the state government in business entrepreneurship program in turkey at the cost of N30 million within the corresponding year. The Commissioner reiterated that the Suleja International Market and Motor Park was executed in a bonded project of N1.3 billion which is still ongoing. He said Governor Abubakar Sani Bello had also released the sum of N 21million for the execution of Niger State Investment Summit. Alhaji Mudi said N9 million is been used for the renovation and upgrading of the ministry’s office infrastructures. The commissioner confirmed that N43.7 million was expended for the ministry’s participation at the Global Shea Alliance Conferences in Ghana, Benin Republic and Abuja in 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively which had satisfied Niger State as a World Shea nut Producer. The Commissioner said N22.7 million was used to document and publicized investment opportunities in the state, while another N120million was expended for the development of Shea initiative in the state. Alhaji Mudi explained that N10 million had been expended for the construction of Mariga International market and N5million for the disbursement of CBN Direct Funding loan to SME’s and Microfinance Agency. Alhaji Mudi Mohammed also confirmed the expenditure of N19million for Niger State Commodity and Export Promotion Agency and Capital investment of N15.8million in Dubai Business investment. He said another N9.2 million expenditure had been used for capital investment at Washington and San Francisco global trade and corporate impact to Niger state. The Commerce and Investment Commissioner said the administration of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello had attracted investors through it foreign trip, as Umfani is spending N250 billion in a 900 hectares of land for the development of an industrial park at Auna. The commissioner affirmed that an MOU had been signed with a foreign investor for the development of education infrastructure in the state. According to him Turkey had already provided scholarship to some indigent students, nothing that foreign investors had also indicated interest in the development of grazing reserve and provision of electricity supplies in the state. The commissioner stated that USA in collaboration with the United Nations had provided solar electricity to some selected communities in the state. Alhaji Mudi Mohammed added that the approval of N20 billion arrangement with a private developer for leasing of Niger State Liaison office for it conversion into a seven star hotel as part of investment drive of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello’s administration. Saka Bolaji, Minna