AASME seeks optimisation of energy, informal sectors

From Ogbonnaya Ndukwe, Aba

African Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (AASME) has rapped governments in Nigeria to stop celebrating tarred roads as development rather to focus on allowing states and local governments embark on renewable energy development.

It said this will boost activities of artisans, fabricators and mini producers of local goods that invariably enhance ‘democracy economy.’

President General of AASME, Dr Darlington Kalu, stated this at a recent press briefing marking this year’s World’s MSME Day celebration in Aba, Abia State.

He noted that lack of collaboration between government and actual players in the operational sectors of the Nigerian economy has largely contributed to the continued downturn leading to closure of many businesses. Kalu also observed that the fiat employed in announcing withdrawal of government assistance on vital policy thrusts without proper alternatives or palliatives in place, created backward trends in societal growth.

According to him, though continental organizations such as the African Union, and other sub regional unions were putting in efforts to attain the 2021 competitive framework of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN-ECA), for MSME development, most countries including Nigeria, were still backward.

“Nigeria,” according to him, “is supposed to play a leading role with its huge potentials in human and material resources,” a situation he said calls for urgent solution.

Proffering solution, Kalu said operators “in the MSMEs, believe that the wide gap between the political class and the core operators of the economy (formal and informal), which had alienated over 95 percent of the entire society, at the planning and policy implementation (PPI) stages, was responsible.

He suggested the full adoption of the National Medium Term Development Plan Vision 2021-2025, that recommended that the federal government, set aside 30 percent, states, 20 percent and local governments, 10 percent of their annual budgets to empower MSMEs to join the global trend of being able to sponsor businesses, innovations, trainings.