The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has unveiled a new strategy aimed at scaling up job creation and supporting growth in the MSME sector through its "GROW Nigerian" initiative.
Director-General of SMEDAN, Charles Odii, disclosed this during a meeting in Abuja, explaining that the strategy is built around four key pillars—Guidance, Resources, Opportunities, and Workforce Support (GROW).
According to Odii, the GROW strategy is designed to help small businesses overcome common challenges by providing expert mentorship, funding, technology, market access, and workforce development.
"GROW Nigerian is our strategic blueprint to accelerate economic growth by offering vital support to MSMEs across key sectors of the economy," he said. "It proposes our theory of change—that with the right mix of guidance, resources, opportunities and workforce support, small businesses can thrive."
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He noted that within the first quarter of 2025, SMEDAN initiatives had already created over 90,000 jobs, signalling early success in repositioning the MSME sector.
Looking ahead, SMEDAN plans to focus on eight priority sectors: agriculture value chain, fashion and textiles, tourism and hospitality, manufacturing, education, digital economy, innovation, and new technology adoption.
Odii also acknowledged persistent challenges facing MSMEs, including limited access to capital, high operating costs, regulatory bottlenecks, lack of skilled labour, and weak infrastructure, especially in rural areas.
He said SMEDAN will work with partners to provide MSMEs with tools, training, and access to markets and networks that will help build sustainable businesses and drive economic development.
