President Bola Tinubu has welcomed the construction of the $12m Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship, saying the facility will strengthen Nigeria’s micro, small and medium enterprises ecosystem, create jobs and expand economic opportunities.
The President said the centre would provide entrepreneurs and growing businesses with better access to technology, training, facilities and enterprise support needed to establish, strengthen and expand their businesses.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
The Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship is being developed at the SMEDAN Industrial Development Centre in Idu, Abuja, with funding from the Republic of Korea through the Korea International Cooperation Agency.
The project is being implemented in partnership with the Federal Government through the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria and the United Nations Development Programme.
The $12m investment comprises $5.9m for construction and $6.1m for equipment and programmes designed to support entrepreneurs and businesses.
The centre is expected to provide support for an initial 500 entrepreneurs, 400 start-ups and 1,500 MSMEs.
Tinubu said the project was particularly important because small businesses remained a major source of employment and economic activity across the country.
“Small businesses are an important part of our economy. They employ people, support families and create activity in communities across the country,” the President said.
He added that many Nigerian entrepreneurs already had the ideas and determination required to succeed but needed better access to facilities, technology, training and other forms of support.
“This Centre will provide more of that support and strengthen the ecosystem around them,” Tinubu said.
The facility will provide workspaces, digital facilities, training, incubation and enterprise support for entrepreneurs, start-ups and established businesses seeking to expand.
Beyond Abuja, the centre is expected to serve businesses in surrounding cities including Kaduna, Jos, Keffi, Lafia, Minna, Makurdi and Lokoja.
The initiative is also expected to contribute to the development of a stronger entrepreneurship and MSME ecosystem across Northern Nigeria.
Tinubu said his administration would continue to create conditions that would enable small businesses to grow, compete and employ more Nigerians.
“We want more Nigerians to be able to start businesses, grow them and employ others,” he said.
The President also said existing small businesses needed improved access to tools and support to become stronger and more productive.
“That is important for jobs, incomes and the wider economy,” he added.
The centre is part of the administration’s broader investments in digital skills, entrepreneurship, enterprise development and MSME support.
Importantly, the facility has been designed to accommodate women and persons with disabilities, with accessible facilities and crèche services for women with young children.
While construction continues, SMEDAN, KOICA and UNDP will work with universities, incubators, financial institutions, private-sector organisations and entrepreneur networks to establish a wider support system around the centre.
The partners will also identify businesses that could benefit from the programmes and services to be offered at the facility.
Tinubu commended the Government of the Republic of Korea for the $12m investment and acknowledged the contributions of KOICA, UNDP and SMEDAN in moving the project to the construction stage.
He said Nigeria would continue to welcome investments and partnerships capable of strengthening local businesses, deepening enterprise development and creating employment.
“Our economy will be stronger when more Nigerian businesses can start, survive and grow.
“We must keep building the support around them and opening more opportunities for enterprise across the country,” the President said.
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