The MSME development and linkages project is a strategic initiative designed to help build relationships amongst actors in the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) landscape to ensure optimal productivity and increased income for enterprises. It strengthens platforms that enable MSMEs to access quality business support services, market and funding opportunities which enable the enterprises to grow and be more competitive in both local and global markets.
PIND’s activities for the quarter focused on supporting the innovations of the business service providers as they try to adapt their service offerings to meet the needs of the small enterprises such as entrepreneurial skills development for small businesses, upgrading business systems, formalizing business operations, and supporting them to access funding opportunities from financial institutions.
Business service providers offer various suites of services to MSMEs to build their capacity and improve their competitiveness and growth. These comprised business diagnostics and upgrading, business management training, marketing strategies, and linkages to funding and market opportunities. This quarter, four business service providers supported 1,193 (500 female-owned) MSMEs with various forms of business development services such as entrepreneurship training, linkages to market and agro-inputs, business and financial management, and linkages to financing opportunities. Through the support of the BSPs, 234 MSMEs, including 83 female-owned enterprises, were enabled to access 518million Naira worth of loan from NIRSAL-MFB. The activities of the BSPs are broken down in the report below:
