By Oluwakemi Kindness
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has launched a clean energy and enterprise development programme aimed at reducing production costs and boosting competitiveness among MSME clusters in Kano State.
The initiative, implemented under SMEDAN’s Enterprise Cluster Development (ECD) programme, will deploy solar energy solutions to selected business clusters while also strengthening collaboration, productivity, and market access for small businesses.
Speaking at the launch on Thursday, the Kano State Manager of SMEDAN, Bashir Jamfalam, who represented the Director General and Chief Executive Officer, Charles Odii, said the intervention is designed to improve efficiency, product quality, and long-term sustainability of MSMEs.
According to a statement by Moshood Lawal, Head, Corporate Affairs Unit SMEDAN, Odii, explained that enterprise clusters allow small businesses to work together, share infrastructure, reduce production costs, and improve access to both domestic and international markets.
“Enterprise clusters are vital for accelerating MSME growth by driving collaboration and lowering production costs,” Jamfalam said.
SMEDAN said the solarisation component of the programme will help reduce the high cost of energy, which remains one of the biggest challenges facing small businesses in Nigeria.
Odii, added that selected viable clusters will be transitioned to renewable energy solutions to support cleaner and more cost-effective production.
The agency further stated that the intervention will also introduce modern production technologies and improved business management systems to enhance product quality and help MSMEs compete more effectively in local and international markets, including under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
According to SMEDAN, the programme aligns with global best practices promoted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), focusing on inclusive industrial growth, poverty reduction, and job creation, particularly for women and youth.
The agency also confirmed that the initiative is not limited to Kano State, as similar interventions are being implemented in Delta State and other parts of the country as part of a broader national strategy to strengthen MSME clusters, boost productivity, and increase their contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through industrialisation and economic diversification.
