James Emejo and Folalumi Alaran in Abuja
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Niyi Adebayo, said the federal government has so far disbursed a total sum of N12.4 billion to micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) through the Bank of Industry (BoI) as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking at the opening of the 12th meeting of the National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment (NCITI), in Abuja, with the theme:”Revitalisation of the Industry, Trade and Investment Sector in Nigeria in the Post COVID-19 Pandemic Era,” he said the risks of the pandemic was being mitigated by the government by exploring ways to catalyse and sustain production, creating supply chains, preventing market disruption through efforts to alleviate the financial impact on small businesses.