The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria, highlighting their crucial role in the country’s socio-economic development.
Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, emphasized this during the launch and analysis session of the Global Cleantech Innovation Program, an initiative by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) held on Wednesday in Abuja. He noted the significant challenges SMEs face in commercializing and scaling their innovations due to inadequate policy support, limited financing, and a weak innovation ecosystem.
“Today, we embark on a transformative journey with the Global Cleantech Innovation Program (GCIP),” Nnaji stated. “This UNIDO-led initiative, supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), aims to bridge the gap between Cleantech Entrepreneurs and the market by providing competitive business acceleration services for innovative Cleantech startups and SMEs.”
A statement from Obed Atuora, Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry, quoted Nnaji, who highlighted the government’s goal to strengthen institutional capacity, develop supportive policies, and promote collaborations, especially focusing on gender and youth inclusion in the economy.
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Oluyomi Banjo, National Programme Coordinator of UNIDO, stressed the importance of clean technology in meeting climate change goals and boosting Nigeria’s economic and technological status. The cleantech program aims to build a robust innovation ecosystem that supports high-impact innovations and attracts significant investments.
