The Edo State Government has pledged to sustain reforms and programmes to guarantee business growth, increase access to funding and improve the ease of doing business.

The Edo State Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, Afishetu Braimoh, gave the assurance at the opening of the second phase of the financial literacy workshop for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), in Benin City.

She said the workshop, aimed at enabling MSMEs to access funding to grow their businesses, was being organised in collaboration with GIZ/SEDIN-GOPA.

The commissioner explained that the state government would link the first batch of over 200 successful participants to credit sources, stating: “No doubt, the second set of over 250 successful trainees will also be eligible for credit.”

“During the first phase of the workshop, the Manager of the Benin Office of the Bank of Industry (BOI) sensitised participants on how to benefit from EDSG-BOI MSMEs fund worth over N2 billion.”

One of the facilitators at the workshop, Iyoha John commended the state government for creating a platform for MSMEs to acquire skills to improve their businesses. He added that the programme also equipped participants with the requisite knowledge to increase sales and expand customers’ base.