The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) on Tuesday in Abuja, said that it had so far registered three million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) under its mass registration Programme.

The Director-General, SMEDAN, Dr Dikko Radda, disclosed this at the 27th regular valedictory meeting of the governing board of the agency.

He said that the process intended to move the MSMEs from informal to formal businesses and stimulate the development of the sub-sector in a structured and more efficient manner.

Radda commended the board members for a harmonious working relationship during their four-year tenure.

He said that the registration process was possible due to the support received from the board.

Radda said that the agency introduced major projects and programmes which had gone a long way in determining the future of MSMEs.

“One of the babies of the board is the creation of the mass registration exercise and the MSME market place database, and they have done significantly well.

“On that, we were able to register MSMEs with the SMEDAN unique identification number.

“The registration is seamless that you can just go into the website www.smedanregister.com and you will be able to register, get your unique identification number and print your certificate.

“That has been a very good effort and up-till-date we were able to register over three million MSMEs that have full details of their location, the kind of products and services that they provide and their contacts.

“In case there is anybody who needs any of their products or services or raw materials, they can contact them directly by linking up to those MSMEs and this has been a very wonderful exercise,’’ he said.

Radda said that the agency received huge support from the board in implementing other projects geared towards stimulating the growth of MSMEs in the country.

He said it achieved so much in the area of increase in funding the agency, National Business Development Initiative, One Local Government, One Product (OLOP), Talent Hunt and Mind Shift.

The SMEDAN boss said the programmes were able to create increased employment opportunities for the youths and improve MSME operators’ livelihood.

While expressing optimism that the Federal Government would continue to support the development of MSMEs, Radda prayed that new board members would give similar support.

He said the agency hoped to have another board that would still support, encourage and maintain good working relationship with the management and staff for the development of the economy.

Earlier, the Chairman, SMEDAN Governing Board, Otunba Olufemi Pedro, described the implementation of the MSMEs mass registration programme as a significant one initiated by the board.

“We are all aware that the MSME landscape is dynamic and fraught with challenges.

“One of the core problems that had hitherto confronted the development of the sub-sector is the lack of accurate, useable and up-to-date data on MSMEs in Nigeria, which could be helpful for both local and international stakeholders,” he said.

Pedro said the mass registration programme was an initiative to develop a database that would facilitate registration of both formal and informal enterprises in Nigeria.

According to him, close to three million MSMEs from micro enterprises to medium sized ones from every sector and geographical location in Nigeria have registered on the portal with full details and type of business.