The Federal Government has vowed to revitalise the commercial production of oil palm and cocoa in Nigeria.

Vice President Kashim Shettima stated this when he declared open the seventh edition of the expanded national clinic of the Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria in the state on Tuesday.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given a clear directive that we should plant 100 million oil palm trees across the country. We’re also going to revive the cocoa industry,” he said.

Shettima, who emphasised the relevance of such enterprises to the growth and development of the nation’s economy, promised that the Federal Government would not relent in its efforts to support the MSMEs.

He said, “MSMEs account for 90 percent of jobs in this country. They are key to poverty alleviation and national prosperity. The growth of our economy must go hand in hand with the growth of small businesses.”

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The Vice President disclosed that 65 MSMEs from Ondo State have accessed funding from the Federal Government’s N75 billion intervention fund, stressing that the Sunshine State is critical to the socio-economic development of the country.

He urged the participants to utilise the opportunity provided by the expanded national clinics in boosting their businesses.

The host governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, noted that the MSMEs are catalysts to economic growth and development. He revealed that the seven-point development agenda of the state government.

Ekiti State Governor, Abiodun Oyebanji, on his part, commended the federal government on the MSME Clinic, noting that no nation can develop without emphasising MSMEs.

He appealed to Nigerians to cultivate the idea of patronising locally made goods, stating that national development is best driven by productivity.

Also, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, called for more collaborative efforts between the government and the private sector in boosting productivity towards economic competitiveness and the development of the country.