The Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday launched the National Micro, Small and Medium ‎Enterprise, MSMEs, Clinic in Abeokuta.

On the occasion, Mr. Osinbajo said the project was part of government’s efforts aimed at improving the business environment toward finding solutions to problems militating the speedy growth of MSMEs‎.

He said the idea of the clinic was to increase the efficiency of MSMES by providing solutions through time-saving approach.

The acting president described Nigerians as hardworking people endowed with great entrepreneurial skills capable of promoting the nation to an enviable height.

He, however, expressed concern that necessary platforms for expressing and demonstrating such talents ‎were lacking as the business environment had remained unsupportive for a long time.

Mr. Osinbajo recalled that he recently signed two executive orders which direct regulatory ‎authorities to speed up business processes and prioritise purchase of Nigerian products.

“People have continued to complain that it is difficult to do business in Nigeria and the Federal Government is determined to reverse the trend.

“Every business concern needs support and we are ready as a government to assist the MSMEs.

“We have begun to change the orientation of our regulatory authorities and make them realise that their duties are to make support and make businesses easier in the nation,” he said.

He said that the clinic would serve as one-stop shop ‎for dealing with various business concerns and approval issues.

“We have brought key Federal Government agencies like the standard Organisation of Nigeria, Corporate Affairs Commission, Bank of Industry and NAFDAC here to enable the MSMEs interact with them in one place at a time.

“The regulatory authorities will open and maintain offices here in Ogun for easy access.

“We commend ‎the Ogun Government which has agreed to open one stop-shop in August here in the state for interaction between the regulatory agencies and the MSMEs.

“Ogun government with the great transformation that it has undergone has become the industrial engine of Nigeria,” Mr. Osinbajo said.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun in his address described MSMES as the catalyst of economic growth which required great attention and promised that his administration would continue to support the sector.

(NAN)