The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) are joining forces to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. This collaboration aims to enhance digital literacy, develop infrastructure, and build a comprehensive database for targeted interventions.
NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, announced the partnership during a courtesy visit by SMEDAN’s Director General, Charles Odii, to NITDA’s headquarters in Abuja. With approximately 40 million small businesses contributing 50 percent to Nigeria’s GDP and providing 70 million jobs, this collaboration is timely and crucial.
Inuwa outlined the potential for collaboration between NITDA and SMEDAN, as highlighted in NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0). One key area is fostering digital literacy among SMEs to boost productivity, aligning with the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF). “We all know that with digital literacy, a market woman can sell her goods without moving from one place to another, as someone can use digital platforms to order goods and have them delivered to them,” Inuwa stated.
The collaboration also aims to strengthen policy implementation and legal frameworks, such as the Nigerian Startup Act. Inuwa emphasized the importance of SMEs in the economy, noting that they make up about 90 percent of the workforce and businesses. “We really want to work with you to explore how we can get them (SMEs) to benefit from all the incentives within the Startup Act and target those who use innovation to promote productivity or innovation-driven enterprises,” he added.
Inuwa highlighted the underutilization of IT hubs in Nigeria, suggesting that NITDA and SMEDAN could leverage these hubs as infrastructure for unserved and underserved areas. “We can come together and decide a benchmark on what an IT hub should look like so that it can properly serve the people,” he suggested.
The collaboration also focuses on strengthening cybersecurity and digital trust for SMEs. Inuwa emphasized the need for affordable and indigenous cybersecurity services to promote digital trust. Additionally, nurturing an innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem is a priority, to foster economic growth.
Charles Odii, DG of SMEDAN, expressed the agency’s commitment to digital literacy and aligning its curriculum with global standards and the NDLF. He also highlighted the importance of sensitizing SMEs about the Startup Act and collaborating with NITDA to enhance their SME database.
