By Hafsat Abubakar
In a strategic effort to strengthen inter-agency collaboration for MSME development in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) FCT Coordinating Office, led by Mr. Olatubosun Olajubu, paid a courtesy visit to the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) FCT Area Office on Monday, recently. The visit aimed at establishing a cooperative framework between both institutions to support the growth and sustainability of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the region.
The team were received by the SMEDAN’s FCT Manager, Mrs. Mary Kolawole and members of her staff.
During the interactive session, both sides exchanged insights into their respective mandates and operations. Mrs. Kolawole, the Manager, SMEDAN FCT Area Office highlighted SMEDAN’s extensive work in delivering Business Development Services (BDS), entrepreneurial training, mentorship, and skills acquisition targeted at youth, women, and informal sector actors. She also noted that SMEDAN plays a crucial role in registering small businesses under its Unique Identification Number (SUIN) and facilitates partnerships with regulatory bodies like NAFDAC and SON to ease the business environment for micro entrepreneurs.
She emphasized the agency’s collaborations with the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA), FCT Social Development Secretariat, and community-based organizations to reach underserved populations. She further shared success stories of local beneficiaries, including food vendors, mobile tailors, soap makers, and other micro-entrepreneurs who have transformed their informal operations into sustainable businesses through SMEDAN’s support.
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In his remarks, Mr. Olajubu, the FCT Coordinator applauded SMEDAN’s impressive achievements and reiterated RMRDC’s commitment to strengthening local industrial growth through research, innovation, and value addition. He outlined key focus areas of the RMRDC FCT Office, which include conducting techno-economic surveys, auditing indigenous technologies, facilitating industrial extension services, and supporting MSMEs in raw material value chains—particularly in agro-minerals such as kaolin, limestone, barite, and ginger.
The RMRDC FCT Coordinating Office team also shared details of ongoing entrepreneurship training programs, exhibitions, stakeholder engagements, and efforts to link MSMEs to market opportunities. In furtherance of inter-agency collaboration, Mr. Olajubu extended formal invitations to SMEDAN FCT Area Office to participate in two major events: the African Raw Materials Summit scheduled for May 20–22, 2025, and the FCT Investors’ Forum on Ginger, set for July 7–8, 2025.
Both organizations acknowledged the critical role collaboration plays in advancing the MSME ecosystem in the FCT. It was agreed that joint initiatives, particularly in training, empowerment, and market access, should be explored. RMRDC also committed to sharing relevant research outputs, survey data, and investment insights with SMEDAN to support ongoing MSME initiatives.
Additionally, both offices resolved to designate liaison officers to ensure seamless communication and coordination of future programs. Plans were made to hold follow-up technical meetings to develop implementation timelines and map out specific areas of joint interest.
The meeting ended on a positive and optimistic note, with both RMRDC and SMEDAN reaffirming their shared vision of empowering micro and small enterprises as a viable strategy for industrial development, economic growth, and employment generation in the FCT. As a crucial step towards operationalizing this collaboration, the RMRDC FCT Coordinator presented a concept note outlining proposed areas of partnership. The document highlighted opportunities for joint capacity-building, enterprise support, stakeholder engagement, and MSME policy advocacy in the FCT.
