SURVIVAL FUND Archives - Enugu SME Centre

ESP survival fund: More payroll support payments, MSME grants to commence this week

April 26, 2021

by EnuguSME with No Comment Business finance

In furtherance of the Buhari administration’s support for small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic under its Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP), payment would be made to the next batch of beneficiaries of the ESP Survival Fund’s Payroll support track and the one-off General MSME Grant of N50,000 as from this week.

This is expected to increase the number of beneficiaries under the Payroll Support track, which has so far benefitted a total of 319,755 Nigerians, while 265,425 Nigerians are beneficiaries under the Artisan and Transport Support track.

Of the 265,425 beneficiaries, there are 118,581 beneficiaries under Artisan support track, and 146,844 beneficiaries under the Transport track.

The payroll support track aims to support 500,000 beneficiaries with payment of up to N50,000 per employee for a period of three months. The MSME Survival Fund, a component under the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan, NESP, is designed to support vulnerable Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in meeting their payroll obligations and safeguard jobs in the MSMEs sector.

The scheme is estimated to save not less than 1.3 million jobs across the country and specifically impact on over 35,000 individuals per state. Applications for the MSME Grants and the Guaranteed Off-take Stimulus Scheme opened on February, 9th, 2021 and closed on March 1, 2021.

The General MSME Grant is a one-off grant of N50,000 that will be given to each qualified MSME as direct cash injection into their enterprise.

The total number of beneficiaries in this track is 100,000 spread across the States. In the same vein, under the Artisan Support scheme, a total of 333,000 Artisans and Transport business operators nationwide will get a one-time operations grant of N30,000 per beneficiary to reduce the effects of income loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also, 172,129 businesses have so far benefitted under the under the ESP Survival Fund formalization support track, which is aimed at registering 250,000 new businesses for free with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

The formalisation support scheme had commenced on the 26th of October, 2020, with the registration by aggregators – CAC registration agents across the 36 states and the FCT. The processing of applications for the Guaranteed Offtake Stimulus Scheme is still ongoing and the commencement of this track will be announced on a later date.

The Guaranteed Off-take Stimulus Scheme is aimed at protecting and sustaining the incomes of vulnerable Micro and Small Enterprises by guaranteeing the offtake of their products.

A total of 100,000 Micro and Small Enterprises are to benefit from the scheme.

The Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari on June 24, 2020, as a N2.3 trillion stimulus plan to mitigate the socio-economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Plan was developed by the Economic Sustainability Committee chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

SOURCE

FG Urges Women Entrepreneurs To Apply For MSMEs Survival Fund Scheme

April 24, 2021

by EnuguSME with No Comment Business finance

ABUJA – The Federal Government has pledged its commitment to supporting the operations of women-owned Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria, even as it has advised them to apply for MSMEs Survival Fund Scheme.

Amb. Mariam Yalwaji Katagum, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, made this commitment when a delegation of the Federation of Women Associations in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (FEDWIM) led by its National Coordinator, Mrs. Anne Ugbo, paid her a courtesy visit in Abuja.

A statement on Friday by Mrs. Oluwakemi Ogunmakinwa, Assistant Director, Information in the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment quoted the minister to have said that Nigerian women entrepreneurs, through their ingenuity have always contributed their quota to national economy and therefore needed to be encouraged for enhanced contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Katagum reaffirmed that Nigerian women formed a very important constituent of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.Katagum reaffirmed that Nigerian women formed a very important constituent of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

She reiterated that women-owned businesses were allocated 45 per cent and five per cent for those with special needs in the Federal Government’s MSMEs Survival Fund Scheme to cushion the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on their businesses.

According to the Minister, “The Federal Government clearly understands the place of women in economic development of our nation and that is why this Ministry is doing everything possible to support them.

Among other initiatives, the Federal Government has also flagged off is the N50billion Export Expansion Facility Programme (EEFP) on non-oil export businesses thereby safeguarding jobs and creating new jobs.

“I use this medium to encourage more women to apply and we also urge associations to mobilise and sensitise their members,” she said.

Katagum commended the association for the achievements recorded so far and advised the delegation of FEDWIN to formally write to the Ministry, indicating areas of collaboration.

Earlier in her address, the National Coordinator, Federation of Women Associations in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (FEDWIM) Mrs. Anne Ugbo said the association was in the ministry to brief the Minister about its programmes and to solicit support for its members across the 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory.

She commended the Minister of State for her motherly commitment to the well-being of the Nigerian women through her contributions to the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

She stated that “FEDWIM is established to serve as a platform to create synergy among all women economic empowerment focused groups to provide a single mechanism for coordinated engagement with government and other stakeholders.

“This would engender effective supervision and monitoring of participation in the implementation of programmes and feedback for appropriate policy formulation and decision making on matters of economic empowerment and financial inclusion of women.

“This would fast track the development and competitiveness of the MSME sector, especially for women who are faced with challenges of poor access to affordable finance, appropriate technology and other challenges”.

The National Coordinator said the association was currently mobilising 50,000 women across sectors and levels of operations to participate in the ongoing process of accessing the Agribusiness and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS) loan.

SOURCE

45% of N75bn MSMEs survival fund provided for women owned businesses

March 30, 2021

by EnuguSME with No Comment Business

About 45 %2 of the N75bn MSMEs survival fund has been made available for women owned businesses.

This was disclosed by the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Amb. Mariam Katagum, in Abuja.

Katagum disclosed that over 45 percent provision have been made for women owned businesses in the N75 billion Micro, Small and Medium (MSMEs) survival fund made available for businesses in Nigeria by the Federal government to cushion the impact of COVID-19 in the country.

Speaking at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT) and the Nigeria Entrepreneurs Forum (NEF), Amb. Katagum said the intervention fund was targeted at giving support to businesses that have suffered due to the pandemic.

“The N75 billion MSME Survival Fund and Guaranteed Off take Scheme are part of Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) designed and developed by the Federal Government to cushion the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the economy, specifically targeted at providing succour to the MSMEs sector which has experienced the most adverse effect of economic disruptions caused by the Pandemic.

“The implementation of the scheme which has received commendation by stakeholders across the country has provision for 45 per cent female-owned businesses,” she stated.

The Minister Applauded the organizers for the “efforts towards actualizing this event which provides an avenue for the development of MSMEs especially among women.

“The critical role MSMEs play in the development of the national and global economy in terms of employment generation and contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) cannot be overemphasized.

“It is in recognition of this that the Federal Government of Nigeria gives special attention to the growth and development of the MSME sector, with special emphasis on women-owned enterprises.

Represented by the Deputy Director in the department of Industrial Development, Mr John Opaluwa, the Minister stated that “the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has recently approved the revised National Policy on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) which provides the framework to resolve the challenges faced by the sub-sector.”

While delivering her welcome address, the President of OWIT, Blessing Irabor, said “OWIT Nigeria is driven by the believe that trade and investment can help Nigeria develop sustainably and inclusively.

“We also know that women and girls have less opportunity, less access to leadership positions, finance, education, information etc.

“However, in the Nigerian world of trade and business, where the gender blind deliverables in trade has strongly contributed to widening the gap of inequalities between men and women at all levels of economic empowerment”, noting that “strengthening coordination on women participation in trade and investment is now Paramount.”

In his remarks, the President of NEF, Sidney Inegbedion, said NEF “is a private sector driven organization whose services have focused on stimulating economic pdevelopment in Nigeria.

“This is why Nigeria Entrepreneurs Forum is partnering with the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT). OWIT Nigeria is an active women organization that focuses on trade and business at the local and international levels as a strategy for women empowerment and social recognition,” he stated.

SOURCE LINK

Registration for FG’s MSME survival fund to open Monday

March 26, 2021

by EnuguSME with No Comment Business finance

The federal government has announced that registration for the N75 billion survival fund for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will begin on Monday, September 21.

Mariam Katagum, minister of state for industry, trade and investment, said the programme is aimed at tackling the economic challenges faced by small businesses as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

Katagum was speaking at the virtual commissioning of the fashion cluster shared facility for MSMEs tagged ‘Eko Fashion Hub’ in Lagos on Friday.

Katagum explained that the programme, which would run for an initial duration of three months, would be opened for 1 .7 million entities and individuals across the country.

“The federal government is fully committed to empowering Nigerians; more so in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.

“In this regard, the government, through the economic sustainability committee had announced specific programmes aimed at cushioning the impact of COVID-19 on MSME businesses.

“These programmes include among others, the N75 billion MSME survival fund and Guaranteed Off-take schemes of which I have the honour to chair the steering committee for the effective implementation of the projects.

“The project, which will run for an initial period of three months, is targeting 1.7 million entities and individuals and has provisions for 45 percent female-owned businesses and five per cent for those with special needs.”

SOURCE