The Executive Governor of Cross River State, Sen. Prince Bassey Otu, has been honored with the prestigious Most MSME-Friendly Governor award by the Presidency. The accolade was presented at the recently concluded 8th National MSME Awards, in recognition of the State Government’s unwavering commitment to revitalizing the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector—a dedication clearly reflected in the rapid growth of small businesses across the state.
The high-profile event, organised by the Office of the Vice-President, also featured the public presentation of the compendium titled ‘Building Nigeria, Empowering MSMEs.’ The publication chronicles the landmarks of the Federal Government in strengthening MSME development across the nation under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The ceremony brought together top-tier government functionaries, private sector leaders, and key stakeholders within the enterprise ecosystem. Dignitaries in attendance included Taiwo Oyedele, Ministers of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; Muhammad Idris Malagi, Minister of Information and National Orientation; Sen. Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President in the Office of the Vice President; Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, Special Adviser to the President on Job Creation & MSME; and Charles Odii, Director-General/CEO, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
Others are Mr. Bonaventure Okhaimo, Managing Director, National Credit Guarantee Company (NCGC); Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General and CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); and Taiwo Dada, Special Assistant to the President on Social Media among others.
The Cross River State delegation to the event was led by the Commissioner for Commerce, Hon. Abigail Orok-Duke; alongside Great Ogban, Director-General/CEO of the Cross River State Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency (CRSMEDA); and Mr. Essessien Edem, Board Chairman of CRSMEDA.
In a double victory for the state, Cross River also clinched the Award of Excellence for MSME Clinics Participant (Female Category). This followed a keenly contested competition that celebrated outstanding performers across various sectors, including Tax Compliance.
The awards coincided with the global commemoration of World MSME Day, which honors the resilience, innovation, and vital economic impact of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises worldwide.
