By Adedapo Adesanya
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has finalised plans to create the Furniture and Wood Enterprise Cluster that will reduce the dependence of Nigeria on furniture imports into the country.
According to the Director General of SMEDAN, Mr Dikko Umaru Radda, this step was part of the agency’s plans to ensure the provision of many Nigerians with local and adequate quality furniture and also see the end of frequent trips to Italy, Turkey and other countries for the products.
Mr Radda also said the creation of the cluster will help boost foreign exchange in terms of trade as the Idu Industrial Centre, Abuja, would be used as an initial phase for the Furniture and Wood Enterprise Cluster project this year.
While saying the agency would ensure that the Cluster meets all standards required to have world class cluster for furniture and wood production, the SMEDAN boss expressed readiness of the organisation to partner with interested members of the public to develop other industrial clusters across the country.
The SMEDAN DG said the Idu Cluster in Abuja is captured in the 2020 budget, adding that as soon as the money is released, the implementation of the project would commence in earnest.
He commended the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for its massive support for small and medium businesses in the country, assuring that the new furniture cluster, which is expected to be launched by the president, will further give a boost to the nation’s economy and create thousands of jobs opportunities for Nigerians.
Dipo Olowookere