MSMEs ‘created 250,000 jobs last year’
Two hundred and fifty thousand jobs were created last year through 11 shared hubs by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the presidential aide in charge of small businesses
Two hundred and fifty thousand jobs were created last year through 11 shared hubs by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the presidential aide in charge of small businesses said yesterday.
Special Adviser to the President on MSMEs and Job Creation in the Office of the Vice President, Mr. Temitola Adekunle-Johnson spoke yesterday during the presentation of the 2025–2026 MSME report to Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa.
According to him, the MSME focus this year will be on stronger coordination with partner agencies and state governments, de-risking of funds, the National MSME Awards, sustainable job creation programmes, capacity development and improved access to financing.
Shettima stressed that Nigeria must urgently harness its vast potential in the digital space, agriculture and other high-impact sectors.
Apart from receiving the report, the event featured a a stakeholders’ meeting to review progress under the MSME and job creation framework of the Tinubu administration.
Emphasising the role of MSMEs in economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction, the Vice President said stakeholders must deepen collaboration and leverage technology to unlock opportunities for young Nigerians, particularly in the fast-growing digital economy.
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According to a statement by Shettima spokesman Stanley Nkwocha: “We have our jobs cut out for us. SMEDAN is doing an awesome job, so also is ITF. Every stakeholder here, from NAFDAC, to CAC, NITDA, Export Promotion Council, and NIPC, is putting in their best, and we are mightily proud of all of you”.
He challenged both public and private sector actors to take a cue from India’s outsourcing success, noting that the Asian country generated about $130 billion last year from business process outsourcing alone.
“So, we need to really harness our potential in the digital space, in agriculture,” Shettima added.
The Vice President commended the agencies and partners for their contributions, assuring them that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration would continue to do all it could to support the growth of small businesses across the country.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the meeting as an overview of the progress recorded in the MSME sector over time, noting that key stakeholders were present to appraise the achievements of the programme.
Idris said that over 250,000 jobs had been created, with more expected in the months ahead.
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He also hailed the Special Adviser to the President on MSMEs and Job Creation in the Office of the Vice President, Mr. Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, for convening stakeholders across Africa in Abuja to showcase Nigeria’s MSME progress and chart a way forward for the sector’s development on the continent.
Adekunle-Johnson added that the Renewed Hope Agenda had repositioned MSMEs as a central pillar of national economic transformation and job creation.
He said the administration’s focus over the past year had been on improving access to affordable financing, reducing operational constraints through shared infrastructure, strengthening market linkages, and institutionalising recognition frameworks that promote excellence and competitiveness.
Adekunle-Johnson noted that access to funding was expanded through MSME Clinics, which he described as a bridge between the Federal Government, state governments and small businesses.
According to him, the clinics create market visibility, improve business formalisation opportunities and provide access to instant on-site grants for outstanding businesses at each clinic.
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Director-General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr. Charles Odii, hailed President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima for what he described as “setting the blueprint” for MSME growth in Nigeria.
Odii said shared facilities created through the Office of the Vice President were helping to engage Nigerians even late into the day, creating more jobs and renewed interest in government policy.
“This is the first time the people have been so fascinated about the policy of government,” he said.
Managing directors of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) also outlined how their agencies supported thousands of MSMEs over the past year.
Representatives of Access Bank, Zenith Bank and Wema Bank pledged continued partnership with the Office of the Vice President to strengthen support for MSMEs, as stakeholders reaffirmed commitment to their roles in driving Nigeria’s economic growth.
