We’re Building Digital Bridges To Take MSMEs Across Africa — Shettima

The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima has said the administration of President Bola Tinubu has already taken bold steps to construct digital highways and bridges that would carry Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across borders into the heart of the African market.

He noted that while over 83 per cent of employment in Africa lies in the informal economy, the continent was not short on ideas and digital innovation that offer unprecedented window to compete with the rest of the world.

Shettima, according to a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, stated this in Abuja on Monday when he inaugurated the oversight committee recently approved by President Tinubu to organise Nigeria’s hosting of the 4th African Union (AU) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Forum, scheduled to hold between June 23 and 27 in Abuja.

Listing some of the administration’s policies and programmes in this direction, the Vice President recalled that Nigeria chaired and spearheaded the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Negotiating Forum, and has aligned its investment, digital trade, and competition policies with the agreement.

He said for this reason, Nigeria also established a Technology Export and Digital Trade Desk to support the nation’s entrepreneurs in exporting services and digital goods across Africa.

This, the VP Shettima said the i-DICE Programme, a 617.7 million dollar investment in digital and creative enterprises, and the 3 Million Tech Talent Programme were set out to achieve by training Nigerian youths in coding, data science, and digital fluency to power the nation’s transformation.

The VP conveyed the assurance of President Tinubu of Nigeria’s readiness to lead in shaping Africa’s digital trade future, even as the nation was harmonising its laws to make cross-border commerce seamless, secure, and scalable.

“We have reformed. We have invested. And we are resolved to see this transformation through. But none of us can achieve this in isolation. That is why this forum is not just important. It is indispensable. It provides the blueprint, the platform, and the partnerships that will empower African MSMEs to become the heartbeat of our economic renewal,” he said.

Earlier, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President in the Office of the Vice President, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, who is chairman of the organising committee, said the forum will provide a veritable platform for exchanging knowledge and ideas on MSME development and facilitate collaboration across the continent.

He said the theme of the summit, “building resilient MSMEs through digital innovation, market access and affordable financing for Africa”, aligned with the efforts of the Tinubu administration in supporting development and growth in the sector.

For his part, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris said hosting the 4th edition of the forum by Nigeria underscores growing confidence in Nigeria in the comity of nations.

The forum, he pointed out, reflects the efforts made by the administration of President Tinubu in providing a conducive environment for small businesses in the country.

In the same vein, the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, assured that efforts would be put in place to ensure that Nigeria successfully hosts the forum, while small businesses in Nigeria leverage the platform to improve in areas of access to affordable finance and markets, among other benefits.

Also, Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade & Investment, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem noted that the state hosts close to 70 per cent MSMEs in the country, adding that the government has taken steps to ease access to funds for these businesses through a N10 billion fund by the Lagos State – Bank of Industry MSME Access to Finance Scheme (LASMECO).