Iranian Envoy seeks Cooperation with SMEDAN on SME Development

The Director General of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Dr Dikko Umaru Radda has expressed the Agency’s readiness to partner with the Islamic Republic of Iran towards the development of the MSME sub-sector in Nigeria. Dr Radda told the Iranian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Morteza Rahimi Zarchi who was on a courtesy visit to the management of the Agency, that as members of the D8 Countries, there is the need for both countries to collaborate to develop the MSME sub-sector. The DG express the Agency’s readiness to work with their Iranian counter-part in the areas of Agric business, ICT as well as revival of the 23 industrial Development centers in the country.

“We are also willing to understudy what our counterpart in Iran is doing particularly in the MSME sub-sector; we are equally ready to share our experience with them “he said.
Dr Radda also disclosed that the Agency is in the process of developing its 23 industrial Development Centers spread across the States into Cluster Parks. The Agency has received a grant from the African Development Bank (AFDB) to carry out an Outline Business Case study of the IDCs with a view to attracting local and foreign investors. He solicited for partnership with the Iranian Embassy to sensitize their investors to key into the project.

The Director General also requested the envoy to assist in building the capacity of the Agency’s staff just like what Korea, Japan, China and India are doing to our staff.
Earlier, Ambassador Morteza Zarchi said he was in SMEDAN to familiarize himself with what the Agency is doing to develop the SMEs in Nigeria. He said “I am interested in your Agency because we have a similar agency in Iran touching the lives of the people”. He said the MSME sector globally is known to be the engine room of economies and as members of D8 countries, Nigeria and Iran should be in the forefront of developing the MSME sub-sector.
He expressed confidence that his visit would open a new vista of collaboration in all sectors of the economy considering the fact that both countries share things in common. Ambassador Zarchi then invited the Agency to participate in the 2018 Iran Expo coming up in December 2018.
The DG of SMEDAN later presented some of the Agency’s Publications to the visiting envoy.