Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has cited paucity of funds as a major challenge mitigating against its discharge of duties.

ROYAL NEWS reports that the development is however hinged on the constant poor budget provision.

The steady challenge has thus forced many Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to lose confidence in the agency which had inadvertently affected SMEDAN’s responsibilities to its patrons.

A Senior Administrative Officer in SMEDAN, Adava Oyiza Ometere at an ongoing annual three-day Press Week organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kwara State council however added that until the rebirth of microfinance institutions, the threatening situation may remain unabated.

According to the entrepreneurship expert, who addressed Journalists yesterday the Pinacle hotel, Offa, the agency, under the present paucity of funds couldn’t really reach out to its targets at the grassroots.

She lamented that: “there are lot of programmes we run but it’s just that we can’t reach out to the grassroots.”

Adava also added the populace/patrons are often confronted by lack of accessibility to information about federal government’s policy especially in areas of their interests.

Still on the challenges facing SMEDAN, Adava urged the federal government to strengthen capacity building to be able to monitor the growth of SMEs.

On the present economic hardship, she enjoined all business operators to tally along and restrain from pulling down the curtain on their trades and business, urging: “don’t be discouraged, it shall soon be over.”

Highlights of the event was lecture which centered on enlightenment on areas of vacation for active or serving journalists as well as retired professionals.