The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in collaboration with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), will soon commence Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) survey to boost economic planning and development.
The Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer, NBS, Dr Yemi Kale, said this at a workshop on MSMEs on Tuesday in Abuja.
Kale, represented by Dr Isiaka Olarewaju, Director in Charge of Real Sector and Household Statistics, NBS said the workshop was to brainstorm and strategise on the conduct of the forthcoming MSMEs survey.
The Statistician-General, however, said MSMEs was important economic catalysts in the development and industrialisation of Nigeria. “Its contribution to the transmission of agricultural led economy to industrial ones cannot be overemphasised.
“It helps in the absorption of productive resources at all levels of the economy and contributes to the building of flexible economic system in which small and large firms are interlinked,’’ he said.
In his remarks, Dr Dikko Radda, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of SMEDAN said MSMEs survey was usually conducted every three years.
Radda, represented by Mr Wale Fasanya, Director Enterprises Development Promotion, said the last survey was conducted in 2013.
“The findings which were released in 2014 revealed amongst other things that as against December 2010 baseline survey with the number of enterprises being 17, 284,678 and employing 32, 414, 884 persons.
“MSMEs numbers had risen to 37, 067,416 enterprises and employing 59,741,211 persons as at January 2014.
“The latter survey also showed that MSMEs contributed 48.47 per cent or N38.78 trillion to Nigeria’s GDP and 7.07 per cent to exports earnings.
“These have been using economic indices on MSMEs, which has been very useful to local and foreign investors,’’ he said.
According to him, the objective of the national MSMEs survey is to establish a credible and reliable database for MSMEs sector in Nigeria.