Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and global investors to tap into Nigeria's $200 billion energy transition opportunity, positioning the country as a key gateway to the African Continental Free Trade Area's (AfCFTA) $3.4 trillion market.
Speaking at a Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) roundtable during the 80th UN General Assembly in New York, Shettima highlighted reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda including exchange rate unification, subsidy removal, and friendlier tax policies designed to unlock capital and ease business growth.
He noted that Nigeria's 236 million population, youthful workforce, and 44 natural resources give SMEs and entrepreneurs an edge to scale production, export goods, and access AfCFTA's continental market. Recent credit rating upgrades by Fitch and Moody's, he said, show growing investor confidence in the economy.
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With tax credits, duty-free imports, streamlined FX access, and Special Economic Zones offering integrated logistics, Shettima urged local entrepreneurs to leverage incentives in energy, agro-processing, mining, and technology.
"Nigeria is Africa's production floor and innovation hub," he said, stressing that SMEs can play a central role in driving the country's green energy and industrial transformation.
