UNDP backs 470 small businesses with $50,000 for green innovation

By Busola Bamidele

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has committed $50,000 to support 470 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across Nigeria under a new initiative to promote environmentally sustainable business practices.

The project, tagged Support to Potential and Established Nature-Positive MSMEs (SPENM), was unveiled in Abuja and will run for nine months. It is being implemented by the International Trade Facilitators Association (ITFA) with support from the UNDP’s Global Environment Facility – Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP).

According to Trade Ambassador of ITFA, Collins Ezeiruaku, the initiative is designed to empower businesses that integrate environmental sustainability into their operations, particularly in agriculture, fishing, food processing, renewable energy and waste reduction.

“This project goes beyond capacity building,” Ezeiruaku said. “We are walking hand-in-hand with MSMEs from production to market access. Our target is grassroots businesses that contribute directly to local economies and environmental protection.”

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The $50,000 UNDP fund will be disbursed in three tranches based on performance milestones. An additional $50,000 worth of in-kind contributions including logistics, training facilities and expert coaching has also been secured from partner organisations.

At least 30% of the supported businesses will be owned by women, with dedicated quotas for youth, indigenous people and persons with disabilities.

Rose Agbo, programme assistant to the National Coordinator of GEF-SGP, described the grant as “catalytic,” saying it is intended to unlock further development finance and connect beneficiaries to global sustainability networks.

“This is about transforming environmental impact into viable business ventures that communities can own and profit from,” Agbo said.

The SPENM initiative comes as Nigeria’s push for non-oil export diversification and green enterprise models gains momentum, especially among MSMEs seeking global certification and sustainable market entry.