Abuja: The Federal Government has called for stronger collaboration among developing countries to unlock job creation and ensure global competitiveness through enterprise development. Mr. Charlse Odii, Director-General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), made this statement during the inauguration of the D-8 Centre for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Odii described the inauguration as a historic milestone reflecting Nigeria’s growing leadership in promoting South-South cooperation through entrepreneurship and innovation. He noted that the decision to establish the centre in Nigeria endorsed the resilience and creativity defining the Nigerian business environment. Odii emphasized that the D-8 SME Center serves as a bridge connecting continents, policies, and practical impacts, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda prioritizing enterprise, youth empowerment, and regional partnerships.
Odii highlighted the centrality of Nigeria’s SME ecosystem in job creation, poverty reduction, and sustainable development. He stressed the necessity of stronger regional integration to address common challenges such as finance access, infrastructure, and regulatory barriers. Odii remarked on the shared constraints faced by SMEs in Bangladesh, Egypt, Malaysia, and Nigeria, and how the D-8 SME Center provides a platform for sharing solutions, opening markets, and harmonizing standards.
He further mentioned SMEDAN’s ‘Grow Nigerian’ strategy aimed at transforming local businesses into competitive players in regional and global value chains. The agency is focused on digitizing SME operations, building industrial linkages, improving business regulations, and enhancing youth participation in the economy. The centre is envisioned as a hub for matchmaking, learning exchanges, policy alignment, and co-investment among D-8 countries, turning shared ideas into shared prosperity.
Ambassador Isiaka Imam, Secretary-General of the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation, urged member countries to intensify efforts towards empowering SMEs. He emphasized that SMEs form the backbone of D-8 economies, accounting for the majority of enterprises and significantly contributing to GDP and employment across member states. Imam cited country-specific data to illustrate the dominance of SMEs in member economies.
The D-8 has taken strategic steps to support SME growth, including establishing governmental meetings, signing cooperation MoUs, and hosting forums. Imam expressed hope that the new centre would collaborate with national SME agencies to advance research, training, data sharing, and policy harmonization. He called on member states to support the centre in tackling challenges such as access to finance, markets, and technology.
The inauguration was attended by government officials, representatives of the D-8 Secretariat, the diplomatic community, private sector players, and development partners. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that representatives of the member states acknowledged the significant role SMEs play in their economic development and pledged their commitment to advancing the D-8 centre’s objectives.
