The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency has said it is targeting to create more job opportunities and boost productivity in the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises sector through its “GROW Nigerian” strategy.
The Director-General of SMEDAN, Mr Charles Odii, disclosed this during an interaction with members of the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.
In its recently released first quarter report, the agency said it created 90,160 jobs for unemployed youths in the first quarter of 2025.
The agency also said it supported more than 116,000 entrepreneurs nationwide with vital resources, including training, access to finance and markets, and the distribution of work tools.
Odii stated that the GROW strategy, an acronym for Guidance, Resources, Opportunities, and Workforce Support, drove the success.
He added that this approach would enable SMEDAN to help SMEs overcome common challenges and achieve growth across various sectors of the economy.
Through the strategy, Odii said SMEDAN would provide small businesses with expert advice, mentorship, and strategic direction to navigate challenges and maximise growth potentials; equip them with essential tools, funding, technology and infrastructure necessary for operational efficiency and sustainability.
He also said the GROW strategy would enable SMEDAN to create platforms and market access opportunities for small businesses to showcase their products and services, as well as expand their reach.
The SMEDAN boss added that the agency would also be offering training and skill development programmes and resources to empower entrepreneurs and their teams, fostering productivity and innovation within small businesses.
“GROW Nigerian is SMEDAN’s strategic blueprint outlining plans to accelerate economic growth by providing vital resources to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in key sectors of the Nigerian economy.
“It proposes our theory of change which holds that by providing adequate Guidance, Resources, Opportunities, and Workforce Support, SMEs can overcome common obstacles and experience growth” he said.
The SMEDAN DG said the agency has achieved so much in repositioning the MSME sector.
Odii said going forward, SMEDAN, through the GROW Nigerian strategy, would be focusing on eight critical sectors of the Nigerian economy.
The eight critical areas are the agriculture value chain, the fashion and textile industry, tourism and hospitality, manufacturing and production, education, the Nigerian digital economy, innovation and new tech adoption.
He expressed optimism that through some of the programmes being implemented by SMEDAN, the agency would be able to address some of the identified challenges facing MSMEs in Nigeria.
He gave some of these challenges to include difficulty in accessing capital and funding for business ventures, high operating costs, regulatory burdens, which include issues such as multiple taxation, high registration costs, and bureaucratic bottlenecks, and a lack of skilled workforce and training opportunities.
Others are inadequate physical and technological infrastructure, especially in rural areas, poor market access, limited access to technology and innovation, as well as insufficient access to cutting-edge technology and innovative resources.
“If SMEDAN, in collaboration with key partners and stakeholders, empower entrepreneurs with the right combination of what they need to grow – knowledge, capital, team support, access to market, network and ecosystem support their growth will be accelerated and they will build sustainable businesses that will create jobs, improve our quality of life and deliver value for all,” Odii concluded.
