President Goodluck Jonathan has inaugurated the National Council on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He gave the council a mandate to develop, support and grow small businesses in Nigeria and turn the country into a land of opportunities, where hopes become a reality irrespective of where one comes from.

The President also pledged that his administration would ensure that the economy works for all Nigerian people.

The council, which had Vice President Namadi Sambo as Chairman, comprises of representatives of governors from all the six geopolitical zones, represented by the governors of Abia, Benue, Kaduna, Gombe, Bayelsa and Ogun states.

President Jonathan observed that Nigeria has the largest population of youths that can be used to drive change and called on the council to work assiduously to eradicate poverty and make the Nigerian people live in dignity.

He charged the council to develop a detailed financial value chain so as to address the difficulties put in the way of small businesses in their efforts to access finances.

He said that by the initiative, all the 774 Local Governments must be covered, hoping that MSME offices would be made to operate in all the 36 states of the federation.