Smedan to Support Ministry of Health on Healthcare Promotion

Mr. Levi Anyikwa of SMEDAN

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development of Nigeria (SMEDAN) an agency charged with the responsibility of promoting small and medium enterprises (SME’s) in Nigeria has made a pledge to partner with the nation’s Ministry of Health in the promotion of healthcare.

This indication is contained in a release by the SMEDAN’s Assistant Director (Corporate Affairs), Levi Anyikwa adding that the partnership will focus mainly on the owners of micro, small and medium enterprises.

According to him the SMEDAN’s Director General, Alhaji Muhammad Nadada Umar made the pledge at the SMEDAN headquarters in Abuja, where he received officials of the Federal Ministry of Health, who paid him a courtesy visit, where they sought for collaboration to promote general healthcare for impoverished Nigerians.

SMEDAN’s Collaboration with the Ministry of Health

Speaking, Umar  said while SMEDAN’s collaboration with the Ministry of Health is not new, it needed to be strengthened to improve the discharge of their mandate and to promote the well-being of Nigerians in line with the Vision 20-2020 document.

He emphasized the significance of life, health and poverty reduction, adding that without these, little else could be accomplished in the economy. ’’It is not enough to harp on employment creation as a national necessity for economic growth without a viable healthcare system.”

“ That is why SMEDAN partners with other Agencies to ensure the success of its mandate of facilitating the establishment of micro, small and medium enterprises which will enhance sustainable economic development of Nigeria’’, noted the Director-General.

SMEDAN’s Enterpreneural Training Programs

He therefore directed that health issues be incorporated into SMEDAN’s enterpreneural training programs, just as he tasked other Agencies of government to partner with SMEDAN to achieve greater results for the overall development of the country.

In her remarks, the Director of Health Promotion Department of the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Philipa Momah pointed out that despite the huge sums of money that have been injected into the health sector, only 40 percent of Nigerian women have access to health facilities in Nigeria.

Dr. Momah, who was accompanied by the Ministry’s Deputy Director, Health Promotion, Mrs. Dolapo Dabiri, and its Chief Scientific Officer, Mrs. Bako Aiyegbusi, said that more attention needed to be given to the informal sector as this harbored the most impoverished people, who misdirect their scarce funds to meeting other basic needs while healthcare takes the backstage.

 The National Vision 20-2020

‘’We are seeking this collaborative effort in order to cover as much ground as possible in line with the National Vision 20-2020, whose indicators target mainly women and children. An impoverished Nigerian woman who cannot help herself needs to be empowered so that she can have hope of sustenance as well as cater for herself and her family health wise’’, stressed Dr. Momah.

She expressed hope that with SMEDAN’s support in areas such as awareness creation, child-spacing and creation of small businesses to tackle poverty, health incentives as well as healthy living would be promoted in Nigeria.

She added that in addition to promoting family health, the Ministry tackles reproductive issues affecting men and women with focus on women, children and adolescent health, gender issues and assisting the public to make healthy choices on what they consume.