Opportunities for SMEs in Agriculture Transformation Agenda

The Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government has opened up lots of business opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to tap into and contribute to the nation’s GDP.

To this end, the women entrepreneurs’ network, NNEW, under the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) is organising its conference on agriculture to explore these benefits.

The conference, holding on Wednesday, June 18, 2014, at NECA House, Alausa, Lagos, is opened to all entrepreneurs and potential investors. It aims to affirm agriculture as the pivot for economic development in Nigeria.

According to Edobong Akpabio, the publicity secretary of NNEW, the conference will bridge the gap between potential and key stakeholders in the agriculture sector so as to enable SMEs tap into the sustainability of the nation’s prosperity through agriculture.

The keynote speaker for the conference will be Gbolahan Lawal, commissioner for agriculture and co-operatives, Lagos State. He will be speaking on the topic ‘Agriculture: The Pivot for Economic Development in Nigeria.’

Lola Okanlawon, president, NNEW, while congratulating Godwin Emefiele, the new governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), also urged him to critically look into the financial barriers that limit the great potential of the nation’s entrepreneurs of the female gender

The network also mourned the passing away of Dora Akunyili, former information minister and former director-general of NAFDAC.

According to Okanlawon, Akunyili’s passing is a great loss to women in particular and the nation in general.