SMEDAN Boss Charles Odii, Delta LG Chairmen Meet on Rural Industrialisation, MSME Growth

By Michael Odiah

The Director-General of SMEDAN, Charles Odii, has met with local government chairmen from Delta State to forge a partnership on rural industrialisation and MSME growth aimed at creating jobs at the grassroots.

The Delta delegation, led by ALGON Chairman Hon. Isaiah Esiovwa, held talks with Odii at SMEDAN headquarters in Abuja on expanding enterprise development programmes across Delta’s 25 local government areas.

The discussions centred on leveraging local government structures to drive grassroots industrialisation, stimulate rural economies, and improve community access to enterprise development programmes.

Mr. Odii reiterated SMEDAN’s commitment to building partnerships that empower MSMEs, create sustainable jobs and unlock the productive potential of communities.

He said the agency’s efforts align with the Renewed Hope agenda’s vision of creating opportunities where “a son of a nobody can become somebody,” while stressing that local governments remain critical partners in translating national initiatives into tangible benefits at the grassroots.

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The engagement underscores SMEDAN’s continued push to deepen collaboration with sub-national stakeholders in driving inclusive economic growth and enterprise development across Nigeria.

The meeting concluded with a guided tour of SMEDAN’s facilities, where the Delta delegation was taken through the agency’s operational and innovation hubs designed to support entrepreneurs and MSMEs.

Responding, the council chairmen expressed thanks to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what they described as his administration’s deliberate efforts to create an enabling environment for small businesses to thrive despite global inflationary pressures, as well as its continued support for economic growth and enterprise development at all levels.