SMEDAN And NITDA Collaborate To Integrate Small Businesses Into Digital Economy

In a bid to stimulate and key in the small and medium enterprises in the country into the digital economy for viable sustainability, the management of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has sought the collaboration of its sister agency, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), to help in integrating owners of small businesses in the country into the digital economy.

In a courtesy visit, the Director-General, SMEDAN Olawale Fasanya, said that over two million businesses in the nano, micro, small, and medium enterprises subsector died between 2017 and 2021 alone, pushing more than six million Nigerians into the unemployment market. In order to stop the trend, a technology-based approach is needed to save SMEs in the country.

In response, the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, assured his counterpart of the full support of his agency for start-ups, established businesses, and other members of the commerce community to key into new technological innovations towards achieving a digital economy.

While commending SMEDAN on its resolve to partner with NITDA, Abdullahi urged the team to adopt some of NITDA’s operating models.