SMEDAN, NIPC Deepen Collaboration to Support Young Nigerian Entrepreneurs

ABUJA — The Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr. Charles Odii, on Tuesday, 23 September, welcomed the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Aisha Rimi, and her team to the SMEDAN headquarters.

The high-level engagement focused on a shared commitment to creating a stronger and more enabling environment for young Nigerian entrepreneurs to build, scale and compete in the marketplace;  a goal being advanced under the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which continues to prioritise policies that support business growth and the emergence of new enterprises.

Discussions centred on strategies to attract greater investment into businesses led by young Nigerians and to expand mentorship initiatives that equip entrepreneurs with the structures, systems and capacity needed for sustainable growth.

Both agencies also held a productive strategic session on the forthcoming SMEDAN–NIPC Summit. Officials explored opportunities the summit presents to deepen collaboration, unlock investment and strengthen the broader ecosystem supporting Nigerian businesses.

“Nigeria’s entrepreneurial future is bright. Our responsibility is to ensure that our young people have the capital, knowledge, networks, mentorship and opportunities required to turn their ideas into enterprises that create jobs, drive innovation and build prosperity,” the statement from the engagement noted.

The meeting reaffirmed the vision of a Nigeria where entrepreneurship is not merely a pathway to individual success, but a powerful engine for national development — a vision being actively pursued through the enabling environment fostered by the Renewed Hope presidency.

Both SMEDAN and NIPC pledged to continue working together to advance this shared goal.