The Director-General of SMEDAN, Charles Odii, (3rd from right on front row), members of his management team and journalists during an interactive session in Abuja.
By Felix Khanoba
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has launched a new strategic framework aimed at scaling job creation and enhancing revenue generation within the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector.
The Director-General of SMEDAN, Mr. Charles Odii, unveiled the initiative—titled GROW Nigerian—during an engagement with the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria on Monday night in Abuja.
According to Odii, the new approach is anchored on four pillars: Guidance, Resources, Opportunities, and Workforce Support, forming the acronym “GROW.” He noted that the strategy is designed to tackle persistent challenges facing small businesses across key economic sectors.
Through GROW, SMEDAN plans to offer tailored support to MSMEs, including expert guidance, mentorship, and strategic planning to help them overcome hurdles and unlock growth opportunities.
Odii explained that, under the initiative, small enterprises will gain access to vital resources such as financing, infrastructure, and technology—tools critical to boosting their productivity and ensuring long-term sustainability.
He further stated that GROW will open up new platforms for market visibility and access, enabling entrepreneurs to expand their reach and scale their operations.
The agency also intends to roll out capacity-building programmes to strengthen workforce skills and drive innovation within the sector.
“GROW Nigerian is SMEDAN’s strategic blueprint outlining plans to accelerate economic growth by providing vital resources to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) 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 (GROW), SMEs can overcome common obstacles and experience growth,” he said.
Highlighting SMEDAN’s recent progress, Odii revealed that over 90,000 jobs have been generated in just the first quarter of the year, a testament to the agency’s ongoing interventions.
Looking ahead, he said the agency will concentrate its efforts on eight priority sectors: agriculture value chain, fashion and textiles, tourism and hospitality, manufacturing and production, education, the digital economy, innovation, and emerging technologies.
Odii expressed confidence that with the rollout of the GROW strategy, many of the systemic barriers faced by MSMEs can be mitigated.
He outlined some of these challenges, including limited access to capital, high operational costs, regulatory constraints such as multiple taxation and complex registration processes, as well as a lack of skilled labor and training opportunities.
He also identified infrastructure deficits—particularly in rural areas—as well as poor market access and limited exposure to modern technology and innovation as ongoing constraints.
“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.
