Vice President Kashim Shettima has declared that the Tinubu-led administration is constructing digital “highways and bridges” to carry Nigerian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) beyond national borders and into the heart of the African market.
Shettima made this statement at the State House in Abuja during the inauguration of the Oversight Committee for Nigeria’s hosting of the 4th African Union (AU) MSME Forum. He emphasized the administration’s commitment to digitally empowering small businesses to harness opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
According to the Vice President, over 83 per cent of employment in Africa stems from the informal economy, and Nigeria is aligning its digital trade, investment, and competition policies with AfCFTA goals. “We have reformed. We have invested. And we are resolved to see this transformation through,” he said.
Highlighting key initiatives, Shettima referenced the i-DICE programme—a $617.7 million investment in digital and creative enterprises—as well as the 3 Million Tech Talent Programme, both aimed at training Nigerian youths in digital skills. He also cited the creation of a Technology Export and Digital Trade Desk to help entrepreneurs export digital goods and services across Africa.
He assured that President Bola Tinubu is committed to leading the digital trade future of Africa, noting that legal frameworks are being harmonised to ensure cross-border commerce is seamless, secure, and scalable.
Chairman of the Oversight Committee and Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, said the forum will be a strategic platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and MSME development across the continent.
Other committee members, including Minister of Information Mohammed Idris, Minister of State for Industry John Enoh, and Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, pledged support and highlighted various local efforts, including Lagos’ N10 billion MSME finance scheme, LASMECO.
The forum is scheduled to open on June 23 in Abuja and is expected to significantly boost Nigeria’s small business ecosystem, with participation from multiple states and federal agencies.
