The German Consulate in Lagos has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the development of micro, small and medium enterprises in Nigeria. The Deputy Consul-General, Katharina Ziegler, made the statement at the GROW Nigeria National MSME Conference, organised by SMEDAN in partnership with GIZ, which is funded by the German Government with co-funding from Denmark, Switzerland and the European Union. According to Ziegler, enterprise development is a priority within Germany's development cooperation with Nigeria.
Through collaboration with SMEDAN, GIZ's Digitalisation Service Points have supported more than 1,200 MSMEs to adopt digital solutions and improve their competitiveness, Ziegler said. The Inspire, Create, Start and Scale programme has trained over 40,000 entrepreneurs, while more than 30,000 Nigerians acquired vocational skills and 7,000 secured employment between 2018 and 2023. Germany works with Nigerian institutions and private sector partners to strengthen enterprises, improve access to finance, develop vocational skills and promote business-enabling reforms and digitalisation, she explained.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, whose state hosted the conference, said his administration is keen on supporting initiatives that encourage business growth. The state government's participation in the event was to identify opportunities and ensure businesses can scale, he added. SMEDAN Director General Charles Odii said the conference aims to build on the organisation's successes in strengthening MSMEs and transforming small businesses into strong enterprises. In the last twelve months, SMEDAN trained 1,765,000 businesses, Odii stated.
For savers, borrowers and business owners in Nigeria, this means continued support for small enterprises to access digital tools, finance and skills training that can help them grow and compete in larger markets.