The President and Chairman of the Ugwumba Centre for Leadership Development in Africa, Uche Nwosu, has called for a partnership between the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and non-governmental organisations to support small businesses in Nigeria.
Nwosu made the call during the finale of the Ugwumba Enterprise Challenge, held in Abuja on Tuesday, where the group presented business grants to the ten finalists who had competed in the challenge.
The ten finalists emerged out of about 700 young Nigerians who had entered the challenge.
Nwosu, the former Commissioner for Lands in Imo State, stated that the purpose of the partnership of the centre with other agencies was not just to receive funding from the agencies but to promote enterprising Nigerians.
“Let me also state that like we have the Ministry of Humanitarian affairs; we have these funds and a lot of money that are being released to young people in Nigeria. It is high time that they partner with NGOs.
“Let me tell you, a government official who works with Humanitarian Affairs in Imo State, or who works here, cannot tell me that he knows a vulnerable person in my village more than me.
“So, I want to suggest that they partner with agencies, not only Ugwumba Center for Leadership Development Agency, but other agencies, who are into exactly what we do, for them to carry out these projects”, he said.
The group’s Executive Director, Remy Chukwuka, revealed that since its inception in 2018, the centre had supported over 5,000 small and medium enterprises and start-ups across the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Abuja Enterprise Agency, Shehu Abdulkadir, revealed that the agency was prepared to facilitate the registration of 2000 businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission, at a fifty percent discount price, within the first quarter of 2023.
He said, “We approached CAC to give us some discount, towards facilitating the formalisation of SMEs in Nigeria. And we are privileged that we got approval of 50% discount, and in the first quarter of next year, we are going to roll it out to ensure that we register businesses within the first quarter next year, and give them additional discounts as well, from what the CAC has given them. This is one of our strategies in Abuja Enterprise Agency of formalisation of MSMEs in Nigeria”.
Abdulkadir also revealed that the agency would set up one-stop shops in the city for business owners to quickly set up their businesses, and obtain licenses from regulatory agencies in 24 hours.
He added that the one-stop-shop was an initiative of the Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo.
Earlier, the group also launched its U-Fund for Women at the finale event. The Chief Launcher and Former Minister for Aviation, Mrs. Kema Chikwe, expressed excitement for the initiative, which she said would promote women’s enterprises, adding that financial autonomy was important for women as it was the basis for effective women’s leadership.
