SMEDAN empowers 9 agric-cooperatives

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has empowered nine cooperative societies in Niger, Nasarawa and Enugu States with processing machines.

It was done under SMEDAN’s Advancement for Women in Agriculture, Agro Allied and Cottage Enterprises (AWAKE) programme.

Director General of SMEDAN, Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda, at the presentation of machines to three cooperative societies in Lafia, Nasarawa State, said women generally face additional hurdles to their economic and social wellbeing than men.

“We hope to, through this AWAKE initiative, deepen agro process capacity in the nation’s hinterland, especially among women; promote utilisation of local raw materials, promote jobs and wealth creation,” he said.

A statement from the agency said the cooperatives were each provided with groundnut oil extracting machine, spice grinding machine and herbs hammer machine.

The Nasarawa State Commissioner of Industry, Mr. Obadiah Boyi, reiterated the state’s commitment to providing an enabling environment for SMEDAN to achieve its mandate

The cooperative societies that benefited from the SMEDAN AWAKE programme in Nasarawa State are:  Groundnut oil/Kulikuli Cooperative Society, Moringa Cooperative Society and Spices Cooperative Society.