By Nana Musa
Mr Charles Odii, the Director-General (D-G) of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), has unveiled a policy framework to boost MSMEs’ competitiveness in African markets.
Odii made said this during the product packaging and branding training for Nigerian nano, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (nMSMEs) organised by SMEDAN in Abuja on Wednesday.
The D-G said that the initiative would address packaging, branding and marketing challenges limiting nMSMEs under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He described nMSMEs as the backbone of the country’s economy, providing jobs and livelihoods, but facing barriers that hindered regional trade expansion.
According to him, the programme aims to make Nigerian enterprises export-ready within six to 24 months through coordinated support measures.
Odii said that the policy seeks to increase compliance with regional packaging and labelling standards required for AfCFTA trade.
He added that it would strengthen product branding and intellectual property protection to improve consumer confidence in Nigerian products across Africa.
Odii said that the programme would also expand digital and physical market access opportunities for businesses through business-to-business and business-to-consumer platforms.
The D-G said that the shared infrastructure and financing mechanisms would help reduce packaging costs and certification barriers.
He said that special attention would be given to women-led, youth-led, rural and informal enterprises to ensure inclusive participation.
Odii identified regulatory compliance gaps as a major challenge, citing low awareness of NAFDAC, SON and international certification requirements.
He said high packaging costs, weak branding, poor intellectual property protection and limited export marketing capabilities also constrain enterprise growth.
According to him, logistics challenges, inadequate cold-chain facilities and financing constraints further reduce competitiveness in regional markets.
He said that many enterprises lack access to packaging engineers, product designers and export-focused marketing professionals.
Odii advocate the establishment of shared packaging and testing hubs to improve access to affordable compliance services.
He also proposed accelerated compliance support, digital market access programmes and targeted financing for packaging, certification and marketing activities.
The D-G said that a voucher and guarantee financing model would help remove key barriers facing small businesses.
Odii also said that strong institutional partnerships would be required to sustain the programme and maximise AfCFTA opportunities.
” We are training 35 participants for this quarter. “
He expressed confidence that the initiative would unlock the country’s export potential and strengthen the presence of local enterprises across African markets.
One of the beneficiaries, Hadiza Mohammed, the Managing Director of Click Wellness Beverages, said the training improved her knowledge of packaging and branding.
She expressed her gratitude to SMEDAN for the initiative, describing it as valuable for enterprise development and sustainability.
Another beneficiary, Temitope Adedeji of topsybol enterprises, said that the training exposed her to opportunities in export and business expansion.
Adedeji, who also deals in grains, dairy products, palm oil and footwear, said such programmes were rare but crucial for business growth.
Adedeji urged SMEDAN to expand the initiative to reach more entrepreneurs across the country.
According to her, the knowledge gained has contributed significantly to the growth of her business operations.
She said that her business had expanded from supplying one bag of products to about 10 bags, while palm oil business grew from one keg to 10 gallons.
She noted that the packaging training was her first with SMEDAN, although it was her second participation in the agency’s programmes.
Adedeji reaffirmed her commitment to applying the skills acquired to improve productivity and scale up her business. (NAN)
Edited by Ese E. Ekama-Williams