By Fatima Muraina

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The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has reaffirmed its commitment to empowering People With Disabilities (PWDs) in Ondo State.

The Chief Executive Officer of SMEDAN, Mr. Odewale Olabode, made this known at an event organised in partnership with the State Government as part of the Financial Empowerment Initiative for Rural Enterprises, held in Akure, the state capital.

The inclusion of PWDs aims to ensure the programme reaches all segments of society and benefits rural communities.

“They have accounts we can credit with the small amount we intend to give them—to empower them and support their growth so they can scale up their businesses,” he said.

He urged the people of Ondo State to advocate for the agency’s initiatives and leverage them to support individuals at the grassroots.

Speaking on the programme, the State Manager of SMEDAN, Prince Tomi Ikuomola, said the beneficiaries had been grouped into three cooperative clusters to enhance their capacity.

“We have empowerment measures attached to the programme, specifically aimed at supporting the cooperatives to grow their businesses,” he stated.

The Manager of the Technology Incubation Centre, Akure, Mr. Balogun Babatunde Rahim, outlined several opportunities available through his organisation to support product development.

“We incubate technology by taking in entrepreneurs for three to five years. Then, once they have developed significantly, we graduate them into the larger society,” he explained.

He added that his organisation also supports participants by exhibiting their products at trade fairs.