The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has sought the support of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to promote Made-in-Nigeria products and expand opportunities for young Nigerians through skills development and entrepreneurship.
The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of SMEDAN, Charles Odii, made the call in Abuja on Wednesday when he led a delegation of the Agency on a courtesy visit to the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, at the Commission’s corporate headquarters.
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Odii commended Olukoyede for what he described as efforts to strengthen public confidence in Nigeria, particularly at the international level.
He said SMEDAN was implementing programmes aimed at equipping young Nigerians with practical skills and supporting them to establish sustainable businesses.
According to him, the Agency has secured approval from the Ministry of Education to establish the Inspire, Create, Start and Scale (ICSS) Institute, which will offer National Diploma programmes while integrating entrepreneurship into its training.
Odii said the initiative was designed to produce skilled entrepreneurs capable of contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s economy.
He also disclosed that SMEDAN was working to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates and young people involved in cybercrime by providing them with relevant skills and entrepreneurship opportunities.
The SMEDAN DG said the Agency was preparing to submit a new national MSME policy to the President, covering the development of Nigeria’s MSME ecosystem over a five-year period.
He said the proposed policy would include measures to encourage businesses to employ rehabilitated former inmates who had acquired relevant skills and demonstrated willingness to reintegrate into society.
Odii also proposed collaboration between SMEDAN and the EFCC Cybersecurity Research and Training Centre, offering to provide relevant curriculum and technical expertise to strengthen the Centre’s training programmes.
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Responding, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, welcomed the proposals and expressed the Commission’s readiness to collaborate with SMEDAN on youth empowerment, skills development, promotion of locally produced goods and cybercrime prevention.
Olukoyede said the development of legitimate skills and economic opportunities for young Nigerians was critical to addressing some of the factors contributing to cybercrime.
He urged Nigerians, including EFCC personnel, to patronise locally produced goods, stressing that increased demand for Nigerian-made products would help businesses grow and contribute to national economic development.
The EFCC Chairman also called for the development of a national policy to promote Made-in-Nigeria products and encourage local production.
On cybercrime, Olukoyede described the activities of cybercriminals as a serious challenge to Nigeria’s economy and international reputation.
He disclosed that the EFCC’s Cybersecurity Research and Training Centre was expected to train an average of 500 participants at a time, noting that the project had received government support.
Olukoyede invited SMEDAN to participate in the project from its conception through to its operationalisation, saying the Agency’s mandate made its involvement important to the initiative.
He also pledged EFCC’s support for SMEDAN’s ICSS initiative and other programmes focused on developing the skills and entrepreneurial capacity of young Nigerians.
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A major highlight of the visit was the presentation of locally produced goods by the SMEDAN delegation. The products included hibiscus tea, coffee, wax candles, cassava biscuits and native fabrics produced under the Agency’s Guidance, Resources, Opportunity and Workforce (G-R-O-W) support initiative.
Olukoyede said the EFCC would work with relevant institutions to identify practical solutions to youth involvement in crime, stressing the importance of joint efforts to create sustainable alternatives for young Nigerians.