…facility to train over 500 entrepreneurs, 400 youths in ICT
The Federal Government, in partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has commenced the construction of the Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship (ACE), a facility designed to support young entrepreneurs, start-ups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
The project, being implemented through the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), is expected to provide entrepreneurship and skills development opportunities for hundreds of young Nigerians.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony in Abuja, UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms Elsie Attafuah, described the project as more than the construction of a physical facility, saying it represented an investment in Nigeria’s young people and their economic potential.
Attafuah said the centre would bring together skills development, technology, incubation, mentorship, business networks and other forms of enterprise support needed by young entrepreneurs and MSMEs.
According to her, Nigeria has a large pool of young talent, demonstrated by the businesses, technologies and innovative solutions being developed by young Nigerians.
She, however, noted that many aspiring entrepreneurs face challenges ranging from inadequate skills and infrastructure to limited access to finance, markets, customers and business networks.
“The question is how we help more of that talent succeed,” she said.
Attafuah explained that ACE was designed to address some of these challenges by creating an environment where prospective entrepreneurs and start-ups could access the resources required to develop sustainable businesses.
She expressed hope that businesses emerging from the centre would create jobs, attract investment, enter new markets and provide solutions to problems confronting Nigerian consumers.
The UNDP representative also stressed that building a sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem would require collaboration among government, financial institutions, investors, universities, technology providers, established businesses and development partners.
She commended the Republic of Korea, through KOICA, for its investment in the project and reaffirmed UNDP’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Attafuah recalled that in 2024, UNDP supported the solarisation of SMEDAN’s Common Facility Centre in Idu, Abuja, through a 120KVA solar-powered mini-grid.
She said ACE would similarly incorporate energy efficiency, renewable energy, environmentally responsible materials and accessibility as part of efforts to promote sustainable enterprise development.
In his welcome remarks, SMEDAN Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Charles Odii, said the project aligned with the agency’s GROW Nigerian Strategy, which prioritises skills development, access to finance and markets, as well as productive infrastructure.
“The Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship gives that commitment a physical home,” Odii said.
He added that the partnership with KOICA and UNDP would strengthen SMEDAN’s capacity to deliver entrepreneurship support on a larger scale while contributing to the Federal Government’s job creation and industrialisation objectives.
According to him, the centre will provide entrepreneurs with access to workspaces and specialised facilities that many start-ups and small businesses may not be able to provide independently.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented at the ceremony by former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Dr Aliyu Modibbo, said the groundbreaking marked the transition of the project from planning to physical implementation.
Shettima commended KOICA, UNDP and SMEDAN for their collaboration, saying the Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship was coming at an important time for Nigeria.
He said Nigeria’s youthful population could become a major economic asset if young people were provided with the skills, infrastructure, finance, markets and opportunities required to participate productively in the economy.
According to the Vice President, the objective should go beyond training young people to creating pathways through which skills translate into jobs and businesses that contribute to economic growth.
He said the initiative complemented other government programmes, including the Skills and Industry Alignment Roundtables, Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme, Expanded MSME Clinics and Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE).
Shettima urged SMEDAN, UNDP, KOICA and other stakeholders to maintain a strong focus on implementation, inclusion, partnerships and measurable outcomes as the project progresses from construction to full operation.
“The success of ACE will not be measured simply by the quality of the building. It will be measured by the entrepreneurs who emerge from it, the businesses that grow, the innovations that reach the market, the jobs that are created and the opportunities that become accessible to young Nigerians, women, persons with disabilities and other underserved groups,” he said.
Also speaking, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Nigeria, Jeong Yo-an, said the project demonstrated the growing development partnership between Nigeria and South Korea.
He said KOICA had played an important role in translating relations between the two countries into programmes with tangible benefits for Nigerians.
According to him, cooperation between countries goes beyond formal diplomatic engagements to include investments in education, skills development, entrepreneurship and community development.
The Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship is designed as an entrepreneurship and innovation hub for young people, women, start-ups and MSMEs in Abuja and other parts of Northern Nigeria.
When completed, the centre is expected to provide training, incubation, technology, mentorship and business-development services, with the partners projecting that more than 500 entrepreneurs and about 400 young Nigerians will benefit from entrepreneurship and ICT-related training.
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