SMEDAN, NIPC Meet to Attract Investment for Young Nigerian Entrepreneurs

…Agencies plan joint summit to unlock capital, mentorship for youth-led businesses

SMEDAN DG Charles Odii on Tuesday hosted NIPC Executive Secretary Aisha Rimi at SMEDAN headquarters in Abuja to discuss investment and mentorship for young Nigerian entrepreneurs.

The meeting, held under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda 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.

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.

The partnership signals fresh opportunities for local and foreign investors seeking to tap into Nigeria’s youth-driven MSME sector, which contributes nearly 50% to the nation’s GDP. With NIPC as Nigeria’s gateway for investment promotion and SMEDAN as the backbone for MSME development, both agencies said they will streamline access to incentives, market linkages and regulatory support for businesses led by young Nigerians.

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.

The forthcoming SMEDAN-NIPC Summit is expected to convene investors, development partners and young entrepreneurs to showcase bankable Nigerian businesses, with focus on sectors like agribusiness, tech, creative economy and green enterprise. Officials said the summit will unlock funding, mentorship and market access for youth-led businesses under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.

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“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.