The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has charged participants at the Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship (ACE) Project’s Training of Trainers programme to become catalysts for developing a new generation of innovative, technology-driven and globally competitive Nigerian entrepreneurs.
This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja by Moshood Lawal Head, Corporate Affairs Unit of the Agency
said the charge was delivered by Director Onesi-Lawani, (Director DGs Office) who represented the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of SMEDAN, Mr. Charles Odii, at the commencement of the two-week intensive training programme in Abuja.
Congratulating the participants, he disclosed that the Call for Applications attracted over 1,100 responses, with the Project Management Consortium (PMC) subsequently shortlisting 80 candidates across the Business Management and Artificial Intelligence streams. Following another round of interviews, 30 successful applicants were selected for the training.
He stated that the participants were expected to become ACE-certified trainers capable of grooming young Nigerians to leverage technology, innovation and creativity to build and scale investment-ready enterprises.
Director Onesi-Lawani noted that although significant funding opportunities exist for Nigerian startups, there remains a shortage of investment-ready businesses capable of attracting available capital. He therefore urged the participants to focus on developing entrepreneurs with the capacity to build globally competitive and scalable enterprises.
He identified key opportunity areas for the ACE Project as Fintech, Agritech, Healthtech, Logistics and Mobility, and the Creative Economy, including digital media, fashion, gaming, animation and film.
While noting Nigeria’s position as Africa’s leading startup destination and home to five of the continent’s eight unicorns, he charged the participants to help transform Nigerian youths into globally competitive entrepreneurs capable of building billion-dollar businesses and contributing to Nigeria’s emergence as one of the world’s top ten economies.
He expressed confidence that the two-week training would deepen the participants’ commitment to achieving the objectives of the ACE Project and strengthening Nigeria’s entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem.
The Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship (ACE) is a strategic entrepreneurship and innovation project of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), implemented in partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
The project is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s entrepreneurship ecosystem by promoting entrepreneurship education, digital innovation, business incubation and acceleration, institutional capacity development, and policy support.
ACE seeks to identify, develop and support young Nigerians with innovative ideas and high-growth potential, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, mentorship and networks required to build scalable and globally competitive enterprises.
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