President Bola Tinubu has approved the composition of an oversight committee to organise Nigeria’s hosting of the 4th African Union Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Forum, scheduled to hold between June 23 and 27 in Abuja.
This was revealed by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, Mr Stanley Nkwocha.
It was stated that the theme of the 2025 edition of the Forum is Building Resilient MSMEs through Digital Innovation, Market Access and Affordable Financing for Africa.
According to him, the committee will, among other objectives, ensure adequate planning for the successful hosting of the forum, which will feature paper presentations, panel discussions, sponsored side events, exhibitions/networking and MSME Business pitching events and presentation of prizes to deserving Nigerian entrepreneurs.
The committee, chaired by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President in the Office of the Vice President, Mr Ibrahim Hadejia, has as members the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Jumoke Oduwole; the Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani; the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Ms Hannatu Musawa; and the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr John Owan Enoh.
Other members of the team include the Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mrs Nonye Ayeni; the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, Mrs Aisha Rimi; the MD of the Bank of Industry, Mr Olasupo Olusi; the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mr Zacch Adedeji; the MD of NEXIM Bank, Mr Abba Bello; the DG of SMEDAN, Mr Charles Odii; the President of NACCIMA, Mr Dele Kelvin Oye, the Deputy Director for African Union Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Anthony Alonwu; and the Special Adviser to the President on Job Creation and MSMEs in the Office of the Vice President, Mr Temitola Adekunle-Johnson.
The AU MSME Forum was initiated as an annual event by the African Union Commission (AUC) to serve as a strategy to empower Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, develop intra-African value chains, and bolster regional trade.
While the hosting rights are rotated among African member countries, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Namibia have hosted the first three sessions of the forum since its introduction in 2022.