The Director-General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Charles Odii, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for businesses to grow and thrive across the country.
Odii made this known during a working visit to Falcon Chemicals Ltd in Ogun State on Saturday, where he carried out a fact-finding assessment of the 40-year-old manufacturing facility.
According to a statement released on Sunday, the visit was part of ongoing efforts by the agency to deepen engagement with enterprises and support their expansion into higher levels of productivity.
Odii said the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu had taken critical steps to improve infrastructure and ease the process of doing business in Nigeria.
He noted that several infrastructure projects, including road construction and port expansion across the country, were designed to strengthen industrial activity and boost trade.
“Over the last couple of years, the government has released over ₦200 billion to support growing enterprises across the country,” Odii said.
He explained that the funds were being deployed as grants targeted at nano, small, and medium-scale enterprises to enhance productivity and support business growth.
Despite the availability of the funds, Odii expressed concern over the low level of participation among potential beneficiaries. He attributed the situation to a lack of trust in government intervention programmes.
“People lack faith and trust in the system. There are funds available for businesses, but people do not come to access them. They don’t even attempt the process,” he said.
Odii added that even beneficiaries of government grants often hesitate to publicly share their experiences.
“Those who do benefit from grants are often reluctant to share their experiences with others. Sometimes, we are forced to publish the names of beneficiaries to prove the grants are real,” he said.
The SMEDAN boss stressed that registration with the agency remains a key requirement for businesses seeking access to government support.
“As soon as a company within our purview completes registration, it becomes eligible for our services,” he said.
On security challenges affecting business operations, Odii said the agency had been working to strengthen collaboration between entrepreneurs and security agencies.
“As an agency, we are aware of security challenges and have helped to create a link between business owners and security agents to ensure they can access security services whenever needed,” he added.
Responding, the Managing Director of Falcon Chemicals Ltd, Babatunde Adefarati, commended the SMEDAN DG for the visit, describing it as a morale booster for the company’s staff and management.
Adefarati said the company still had substantial untapped production capacity and was working toward meeting local demand while preparing for future export opportunities.
“Currently, we import about 70 per cent of our raw materials,” he said.
He also disclosed that the company had explored only a small portion of its operational potential.
“The company has currently explored only 5 per cent of its inbuilt potential,” Adefarati said, noting that plans were underway for a new phase expected to significantly impact Nigeria’s paint and chemicals sector.
