Ikpeazu inaugurates Abia MSME one-stop-shop

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, on Friday, inuagurated  Abia MSME Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprise (MSME) one-stop-shop as part of the state government’s efforts to strengthen small businesses and rural economy.
Speaking during the event in Umuahia, Ikpeazu said that the shop would also serve as an avenue for entrepreneurs and MSME-supporting Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to interface.
The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Ude Oko-Chukwu, also said that the shop was also an action plan of the state government to increase the ease of doing business in the state.
“The growing economic uncertainties, rising unemployment and the urgent need to build the capacity of the MSMEs as the key economic and development drivers cannot be overemphasised,”he said.
Ikpeazu said that Abia Government was committed to making MSMEs functional in a sustainable manner, to ensure continuous socio-economic growth and job creation.
In his remark, Mr Chinenye Nwogu, Abia Social Investment officer, described the shop as an initiation that would be used to encourage small businesses in the state to thrive.
Nwogu said that the state government was committed to ensuring that the livelihood of the people of Abia was improved.
In an interview with newsmen, Mr Nnamdi Onwughara, Project Officer for Bank of Industry (BOI), said that the bank planned to build a relationship with entrepreneurs in the state.
He said BOI hoped to accomplish the task by providing the entrepreneurs with working capital.
Onwughara said that in a bid to enlighten entrepreneurs, “BOI has been doing some workshops” on how to access loans and develop businesses.
He said that the state had a lot of agro-business and SME opportunities, abound for potential entrepreneurs and advised the people of Abia to take advantage of the opportunities.