Fate Foundation to hold forum on MSMEs’ role for national development

FATE Foundation, an NGO, says it is planning a forum for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) on how to harness their potential at state levels for national development.

Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, the Executive Director of the foundation, said at a news conference on Thursday in Lagos that the aim was to reduce unemployment, crime rate and poverty in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Fate Foundation is an entrepreneurship and enterprise development centre that promotes and supports growth of the MSMEs in the country.

Adeyemi said that concerted efforts at state levels geared toward driving entrepreneurship development and improved education system would have positive socio-economic impact on the citizens.

“It has become clear that the scale and impact to create an enabling environment for MSMEs will achieve a lot of the desired result, if focus is put on entrepreneurship ecosystem at the state level, particularly focusing on young Nigerians.

“Our studies have consistently shown that young Nigerians have potential to start and grow successful enterprises if given the right support that is uniquely focused on their own geographical dynamic, immediate environmental challenges and specific situational context,” she said.

Adeyemi said that to achieve the target, the foundation would hold a policy dialogue series on entrepreneurship, tagged: “Scaling Entrepreneurship: How State led efforts can unlock the youth potential”.

The forum will hold on June 22 in Lagos.

Gov Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment and Mr Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, Lagos State Commissioner on Wealth Creation and Employment will speak at the occasion.

Others speakers are Ms Adetomi Soyinka, Director, Enterprise Skills, British Council, Mr Bernard Takyi, Regional President, Commonwealth Alliance of Youth Entrepreneurs  (CAYE), West Africa.

Fate Foundation established in 2000, has trained over 5,200 entrepreneurs in full-term programmes, 45,000 in short courses and over 72,000 in youth entrepreneurship training programmes.