The Federal and Ogun State Government have intensified campaign, to ensure that eligible entrepreneurs benefit from the five streams of the N75 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Survival Fund, by meeting with leaders of Artisans Associations in the state.
Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment and State Focal Person for the Fund, Mrs. Kikelomo Longe, who addressed leaders of Artisan groups registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), at a sensitisation town hall meeting in Abeokuta, said government was determined to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on businesses in the state.
Mrs. Longe called on MSMEs in Ogun State to avail themselves the opportunity of benefiting from all the streams of the Fund including Payroll Support, Artisan/Transport Grant, Formalisation Support, Guaranteed Offtake Support and General MSMEs Grant. She said the state was yet to fully utilise all its allocation for the Payroll Support, urging businesses that have CAC registration and meet other requirements to take advantage of the support when the Federal Government re-opens the portal for those who missed out on the Payroll Support stream initially.
Longe added that the formalisation stream was currently inviting informal businesses in the state to avail themselves the opportunity, as over 250,000 MSMEs would be registered for free by the Commission, stressing that they would be able to bid for government contracts in the State.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Deputy Director/Area Manager, Industrial Training Fund, Ogun State, Mrs. Funmi Coker, who is the State Point of Contact for the Fund, said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration introduced the fund to assist small businesses in the State cushion the negative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic calling on MSMEs to ensure they do not miss out on the fund.
She called on artisans in the State to register and benefit from the Artisan/Transportation Grant stream of the Survival Fund, which enables members of artisan Associations registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission enjoy a one-off payment from the Federal Government.