FIC Report (Delta State) – The State Manager ,Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Delta State Office, Mr. Leke Babalola, has called on small business owners to develop and embrace the idea of cluster development programme concept for the growth and development of their businesses.
Mr. Babalola made the call during a two day sensitisation and training workshop held on Tuesday 30th June and Wednesday 1st July, 2026, at the Federal Secretariat Complex Conference Hall, Asaba the Delta State capital.
According to Mr. Babalola, clusters development have become one of the most effective instruments to ensure survival and growth of existing Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), noting that with cluster development programmes MSMEs increase their business performance, adopt appropriate technology, improve quality, productivity as well as increase in turn over which stimulates export growth and overall human resource and management efficiency.
The Delta State SMEDAN Manager further noted that clusters development enhance productivity, innovation, technology transfer in terms of business development, adding that bottlenecks that tend to limit growth of small businesses are usually removed, triggering performance improvement.
He encouraged small and medium scale enterprises to form clusters which he noted, would turn their businesses into engines of growth in and around their business localities, thus generating benefits and opportunities for more participation.
Mr. Babalola cited examples of thriving cluster businesses to include but not limited to the following; Lagos Computer Village, Camp 74 Fish Farmers Cluster Asaba, Ekpan Fish Farmers Association Warri amongst others.
He noted that government empowerment could easily be accessed by organized and functional cluster groups as they could easily attract financial assistance with zero interest loans.
Mr. Leke further stressed that when MSMEs clusters are effectively and efficiently organised, they stimulate improved living standard and poverty reduction thereby creating new employment opportunities.
The high point of the two day sensitisation and training workshop, was a practical teaching on how to form cluster groups and grouping participants into groups as clusters to discuss on how best to organise and run cluster groups for effective and efficient business performance. The participants later took group Photographs with the SMEDAN Manager and his team.
Celestine Afokobah
FIC Asaba Delta State
2nd July, 2026.
