The German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) on Wednesday launched a Business Entry Guide to help Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
The launch, held in Lagos, was in partnership with FATE Foundation, for Plastic Waste Recycling, Poultry and the Fashion sectors combined.
Mr Akinropo Omoware, Head Policy Strategy and Component, GIZ-SEDIN, identified some benefits of the business guide
He said there was the need to ensure MSMEs grew to solve the issues around unemployment rate.
Omoware said although the big companies create jobs, they do not do as much as all the MSMEs put together.
“We need to invest in these smaller companies to tackle the issue of unemployment.
“This event is an idea of the LSETF and channeled towards reducing entry barriers for those who want to start a business.
“A guide is needed to come into a business; you know when you are out of school, there is no job and you want to start a business. A guide is very important.
“Also for existing business, you will always need additional information to stay in business. There are other sectors, but the focus now is on the plastic waste recycling, poultry and fashion,” he said.
Ms Sheila Ojei, Director Strategy, Funding and Stakeholder Management, LSETF, said if the MSMEs are able to employ and they are being funded, then they are creating jobs.
She added that the launch of the Business Entry Guide was also important because there was a need for entrepreneurs to be aware of which laws and policies to comply with.
“Complying with the important laws and policies is important for entrepreneurs. This is one of the reasons why we are here today.
“Entrepreneurs need to be sensitised on the important regulations guiding their businesses.
“With the guide, we have saved you some days and hours which you would have spent on the internet learning how to go about starting your business.
“We hope more entrepreneurs will get information with this, create more business and solve the problem of unemployment in Lagos and Nigeria at large.” she said.
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperative, Mrs Adetutu Oshosanya, while launching the booklet said it was good having such information at the fingertips.
She said it would be of great help to entrepreneurs.
“It is an initiative which is long overdue and I appreciate all effort put together to make this a reality.
“This is the beginning of projects with such initiative as we look forward to creating more platforms with information to guide entrepreneurs in the state.” she said.
The Managing Director, Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) Mr Ibrahim Odumboni said the business guide would help those in the informal sector see reasons why they need to partner.
Odumboni said LAWMA was ready to partner interested stakeholders, adding that those in the informal section should be differentiated from miscreants.
He said that only miscreants would extract what they needed from waste and drop at the next bus-stop for the waste management authority to come and pack.
“A recycler is not a scavenger that extracts what he needs from the waste and still thrashes it elsewhere. We don’t need that negative energy in the system.” he said.
The Executive Director, Fate Foundation, Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, said a lot of young people would benefit from the business guide and there was the need to get it distributed in higher institutions.
“This business guide will be circulated through promotions and publicity. It is presently an E-Book and it is on the GIZ, LSETF and the FATE Foundation websites. We are also looking forward to feedbacks on how it can be improved”.
(NAN)
