BY PETER EGWUATU
Federal Government, Monday, said it has mapped out strategies to 
create 3.5 million jobs across the country through the development of 
the micro, small and medium enterprise, MSME, sector, just as it kicked 
off the National Enterprise Development Programme, NEDEP.
Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, said NEDEP had
 been developed with the objective of harnessing the opportunities in 
the MSME sector to drive inclusive economic growth through skills 
training and development, job creation and wealth generation.
The minister, who spoke during the first stakeholders’ meeting on 
NEDEP, also added that the Federal Government would set up an MSME 
Council, comprising the Federal, state and local governments to 
streamline and harmonise all MSME development activities across the 
country to achieve maximum impact.
He said: “If we are going to develop our economy and turn our 
quantity advantage into productive advantage, one of the most important 
sectors that we have to focus on is the MSME sector.”
“Despite the little support the MSME sector has received over the 
years, the sector currently contributes to about 75 percent of Nigeria’s
 Gross Domestic Product and employs more than 45 percent of our people.
“Even developed economies rely heavily on MSMEs for job creation, 
wealth generation and inclusive economic growth. NEDEP is an initiative 
spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment and its 
three parastatals.”
www. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/03/fg-targets-3-5m-new-jobs/
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