The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has announced that its 2025 National MSME GROW Nigerian Conference will serve as a catalyst for innovation and enterprise reform across the country.
Director-General of SMEDAN, Dr. Charles Odii, said the three-day event, scheduled for November 16–18 in Lagos, will provide a strategic platform for stakeholders to shape the future of Nigeria’s small business sector.
According to Odii, the conference will focus on enterprise growth, innovation, and the review of the National MSME Policy, which expires this year. He added that it will guide the design of the next five-year framework for sector development.
“The 2025 theme, GROW Nigerian: Building a Future of Innovation, Resilience and Prosperity, reflects our commitment to helping entrepreneurs access finance, markets, skills, and visibility,” Odii said.
He described the event as a “festival of ideas, innovation, and enterprise,” designed to foster collaboration between government, private sector players, development partners, and entrepreneurs for measurable impact.
Vice President Kashim Shettima and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr. Tajudeen Abbas, will lead the opening ceremony, while UBA Chairman Tony Elumelu will deliver the keynote address. Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is expected to host a special session honoring governors who have demonstrated strong MSME support.
Other highlights include a policy dialogue on national tax reforms to be led by Presidential Committee Chairman on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, and a session on export development featuring the Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni.
A Women’s Summit, led by the Minister of Women Affairs, will spotlight empowerment opportunities for women-led enterprises. There will also be masterclasses featuring thought leaders such as WIPO Nigeria Country Director Tobi Moody, and a panel on digital competitiveness with Moniepoint’s Tosin Eniolorunda and Herconomy’s Ife Durosinmi-Etti.
Running alongside the conference is the GROW Nigerian Fair, which will showcase enterprises in food, fashion, manufacturing, technology, and entertainment. A pitch competition offering N20 million in grants will also take place.
The conference is supported by the German Government, European Union, and Swiss Government through GIZ, with corporate co-sponsors including Moniepoint, UBA, BOI, NEXIM Bank, Wema Bank, Fidelity Bank, MTN, and the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University.
