From: Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Two key agencies of the Federal Government, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Standard Organisations of Nigeria (SON), have committed to 90 and 60 days approvals to the Medium Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs).
This is in continuation of government’s reforms targeted at easing the processes of doing business in Nigeria as well as encouraging MSMEs.
While NAFDAC will now issue approvals within 90 days, SON will also complete all its processes in terms of testing and certifications within 60 days.
This was disclosed, on Tuesday, at a follow-up meeting after the launch of the MSMEs clinics by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, in January.
The MSMEs Clinics and Booklet was launched with the aim of finding solutions to problems militating against the speedy growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in the country.
Osinbajo met with the Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, his counterpart, Aisha Abubakar and relevant government regulatories agencies at the Presidential Villa.
Ikpeazu told State House correspondents that meeting was to review what has been done between when Osinbajo visited Abia State and now.
”This is a follow up to the MSMEs clinic which Mr. Acting President led to Abia State. In this meeting, all the stakeholders regulatory agencies, the minister and the minister of state, including Bank of
Industry, Export Promotion Council were present. The whole idea is to see how far we have gone from that day uptil now so that we can cross the T’s and dot the i’s and the outcome is very straightforward and gladdening.
“The regulatory agencies are committed now to specific days or time frame between which more businesses can register and get certification for their products. We have received additional advice of what we need to do in Abia State to create the environment for federal government to step in to make us acquire equipments and machineries to drive the automation of our
products going forward”.
Enelamah, on his part, said has become example of how partnerships work out.
According to him, ”As you know Aba is a place well known for its products, industry and entrepreneurship. It is a very good example of how partnership can happen between the private sector and the government, between states and federal government and between funding agencies and enterprise.
“So with specific reference to MSMEs, we have received commitments of some of our key agencies like NAFDAC that they will do everything possible to give any approvals that they need to give within 90 days, which as you know is quite ambitious and is something that we welcome very much.
“We received similar assurances from Standard Organisations of Nigeria that where they need to give certifications or set
standards or whatever approvals that MSMEs will need from them, that they will work with 60 days time frame from start to finish, including testings and all the other things. The important thing about this is the commitment of working with them to get the solutions or services from government speedily, transparently and readily”, he said.