WHY DO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT NANO ENTREPRENEURS?
Nano Entrepreneurs are those traders and business men and women who fall within a distinct segment of the micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs). These distinct groups have been recognized to be a very strong force that contribute immensely to national economy. Nano businesses usually comprise of one person and at the most, two people, (usually the business owner and an assistant or help who is more or less the only employee apart from the owner). In Nigeria, businesses are classified according to the numbers of workers in the business as:
- Nano (1-2 people),
- Micro (3-9 people),
- Small (10 to 49),
- Medium (50 to 199),
- Large (200 and above).
Nano businesses make up a very large portion of the entire population. A very high percentage of working age Nigerians, especially women, are involved in nano entrepreneurial activities. These include roadside kiosks and shops operators, roadside makeshift shades and market women as well as numerous others who hawks their wares on the streets selling akara, masa, okpa, pure water, pepper etc. Nano enterprises are the very heartbeats of the informal sectors, contributing to sustain households while contributing to the national economy silently but effectively. This group of entrepreneurs do not often have the opportunities to access facilities for empowerment from government agencies and other bodies because they are enough organized together to form a common front to access such facilities.
As one who has been in the forefront of women, girl-child and youths empowerment via skills acquisitions, Elder Mrs. Patience Ardey is making major moves to help fill the gap through concerted efforts geared towards empowering rural women, girls and youths by providing skills acquisition training through the DPat Foundation (NGO) platform.Beyond these skills empowerment efforts, she also realized that platforms should also be provided through which the beneficiaries of the skills empowerment can have the serachlight beamed on them so that the relevant authorities can get to notice their challenge and come to their rescue by way of providing them the facilities that would enable them take their businesses to a better level of economic viability.
One of such moves was the recent symposium held in Gwagwalada on the 29th of February, 2024, organized by DPat Foundation (NGO). The theme of the symposium was “WHY DO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT NANO ENTREPRENEURS?” The symposium drew guest from various government agencies like the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA), Agricultural Development Project (ADP), Fadama Cares, Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat as well as numerous other private sector organisations and women groups.
Another efforts at ensuring that nano entrepreneurs and not neglected is the ongoing grants being giving to nano businesses through DPat Foundation (NGO) by the Abuja Enterpries Agency (AEA). Two batches of those who applied for the grants have received the grants. The third batch will soon receive their own. DPat Foundation also has vibrant and functional co-operatives that also carter to the needs of nano businesses. These co-operatives are open to members of the public, especially nano business owners.
