The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) says three million micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have been registered under its mass registration programme.

“That has been a very good effort, and to date, we were able to register over three million MSMEs that have full details of their location, the kind of products and services that they provide and their contacts,” SMEDAN director-general Dikko Radda disclosed at the 27th regular valedictory meeting of the agency’s governing board. “In case there is anybody who needs any of their products or services or raw materials, they can contact them directly by linking up to those MSMEs.”

He said the process intended to move the MSMEs from informal to formal businesses and stimulate the development of the sub-sector in a structured and more efficient manner.

Mr Radda explained that the registration process was possible due to the support received from the board.

“One of the babies of the board is the creation of the mass registration exercise and the MSME marketplace database, and they have done significantly well. We were able to register MSMEs with the SMEDAN unique identification number,” he added. “The registration is seamless that you can just go into the website www.smedanregister.com and you will be able to register, get your unique identification number and print your certificate.”

The SMEDAN boss also mentioned that the programmes helped increase employment opportunities for the youths and improve MSME operators’ livelihood.

SMEDAN’s governing board chairman Olufemi Pedro described the implementation of the MSMEs mass registration programme as significant.

“We are all aware that the MSME landscape is dynamic and fraught with challenges. One of the core problems that had hitherto confronted the development of the sub-sector is the lack of accurate, usable and up-to-date data on MSMEs in Nigeria, which could be helpful for both local and international stakeholders,” he said.

Mr Pedro said the mass registration programme was an initiative to develop a database to facilitate the registration of both formal and informal enterprises in Nigeria.

(NAN)