Cluster Formation; an Innovative Way to Resource Mobilization

The Managing Director/CEO Kogi Enterprise Development Agency, KEDA Hajiya Rekiya Sanni Onaivo has charged Artisans across the 21 local government areas of the State to explore various opportunities in Cluster Formation for strategic resource mobilisation and capacity building.

She gave the charge when she received the executive members of the Kogi State Association of Vocational and Artisan Practitioners ( KOSAVAP) who were on a familiarisation visit to KEDA.

Addressing the Artisans, Hajiya Rekiya lauded the visionary governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello for deeming it neccesary to establish KEDA as an agency that interfaces with SMEs in the State in an effort to boost the economy of the State.

Intimating the Association on KEDA activities so far and the forth coming World Bank project which is an intervention program aimed at reviving businesses that were adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the KEDA boss emphasised that the agency has continued to interface with the SME sector to discuss their challenges and find possible ways to address them hence, providing an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

While encouraging the artisans to cultivate the habit of simple book keeping to measure level of success, profits and loses, Hajiya Rekiya urged the association to get a comprehensive data base of members to enable harmonisation and mapping of intervention needs.

Earlier in his remarks, the president of KOSAVAP comrade Emmanuel Gimba who led the visit noted that, the association which cuts across the 21 LGAs of the state is an umbrella that solicits and fights for the rights of her members.

He said the familiarisation visit became neccesary having watched with keen interest the programs and activities of KEDA as displayed on the platform created by the KEDA boss, the association is left with no choice than to identify with KEDA and solicit ways it can be carried along.

KOSAVAP however appealed to the State government to create a vocational center for all artisans in the State and also organise trainings that would help them transit to the digital world.

KEDA is an agency established the Kogi State law under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for the purpose of stimulating, monitoring and controlling enterprises development for social and economic development of Kogi State.

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By Yemi Balogun