Cross River MSMEs Receive Support for Economic Growth

More than 5,350 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Cross River State have benefited from direct cash grants, skill acquisition, and capacity-building programs under state and Federal Government interventions. Great Ogban, the Director-General of the Cross River State Micro Enterprise Development Agency (MEDA), announced this during a Manufacturing and MSME Town Hall Meeting in Calabar.

The initiatives were designed to stimulate economic growth across the state's three senatorial districts. Ogban reported that SMEDAN trained 2,500 participants, while 2,000 others benefited from separate interventions, with 500 receiving grants of N500,000 each.

He noted that local businesses accessed low-interest loans and administrative reliefs, including a N200 million MSME intervention. Governor Bassey Otu was commended for providing 1,000 free Corporate Affairs Commission business registrations.

Ogban called for sustained collaboration between state and Federal Governments, urging entrepreneurs to support continuity in economic governance. John Owan Enoh, Minister of State for Industry, emphasized the critical role of MSMEs in Nigeria's economy.