President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, approved the composition of an oversight committee for the hosting of the 4th African Union Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Forum....READ ORIGINAL & FULL CONTENT FROM SOURCE | READ ORIGINAL & FULL CONTENT FROM SOURCE...
The forum which would be hosted by Nigeria will take place in Abuja, the nation’s capital city between June 23 and 27, 2025.
This was disclosed in a statement by Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, the Special Adviser to the President on Job Creation and MSMEs – Office of the Vice President.
This year’s forum is theme, “Building Resilient MSMEs through Digital Innovation, Market Access & Affordable
Financing for Africa”.
According to Adekunle-Johnson, the committee has been saddled with the responsibility of ensuring adequate planning for a hutch-free forum.
The committee led by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President – Office of the Vice President), Ibrahim Hadejia will also ensure a smooth presentation of papers, side events which include exhibitions, MSME business pitching, award presentations to outstanding Nigerian entrepreneurs among other side events.
Adekunle-Johnson will serve as the Host Country Coordinator and secretary of the committee.
Members of the committee include Ministers of Industry Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole;
Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani; Art,
Culture, Tourism and The Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa and
Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, John Owan Enoh.
Others are Executive Director Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nonye Ayeni; Executive Secretary Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Aisha Rimi; MD Bank of Industry, Olasupo Olusi; Chairman FederalInland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji; MD/CEO NEXIM BANK, Abba Bello; DG SMEDAN, Charles Odii; President NACCIMA, Dele Oye, Esq and Deputy Director (African Union Division), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Anthony Alonwu.
The AU MSME Forum is an annual event initiated in 2022 by the African Union Commission (AUC) to serve as a platform to empower Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.
It also aims to develop intra-African value chains; and bolster regional trade through makes.
The hosting right is rotated among the African member countries. Egypt, Ethiopia and Namibia respectively, have successfully hosted the first three Sessions of the Forum since its introduction.
Adekunle-Johnson who spoke after the president’s approval said this particular Forum will draw MSMEs and partners from all over the world.
His words, “This would be the first time Nigeria would be hosting the important MSME forum and we would be having close to over 6,000 MSMEs from all African countries and about 145 different partners from all over the world, coming into Nigeria to, sort of explore how to help MSMEs within the country and the continent in general.
“MSMEs across the country would be leveraging and they’ll be meeting and interacting with their fellow MSMEs all around Africa,” Adekunle-Johnson stated.
He said the forum would also avail the SMEs the opportunity to unlock potentials, possibilities and other benefits it has to offer in Nigeria, Africa and globally.
“So it’s a good one for the country, it going to be a five-day event and it will climax with the National MSME Awards,” he said.
Adekunke-Johnson added that the theme was strategically crafted to ensure that makes in Nigeria and the continent benefit maximally from this year’s Forum.
“So MSMEs in Nigeria must begin to maximise digitalisation and market opening to their advantage and access to funding. Those three key elements are very vital for the survival of any MSMEs,” he noted.