UNDP, SMEDAN, Korean Agency Partner to Transform Nigeria’s Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), are partnering on a digital programme the ‘Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship’ (ACE), to drive digital innovation in the ecosystem.

Head of Inclusive Growth at the UNDP, Claire Henshaw, stated this at the KOICA media engagement with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, with the theme, “Showcasing KOICA’s Development Impact in Nigeria.”

Henshaw said, “I will speak from the context of the work that UNDP is supporting KOICA with, which is the construction of the Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship. This project is going to provide a strong platform for the entrepreneurship ecosystem to drive digital innovation, skills acquisition, and digital transformation as a whole with respect to the young businesses that we have on ground in Nigeria, targeting young people, targeting the ecosystem within Abuja and its environs.

“It’s laudable because as much as we have our universities of learning, given the advent of AI and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, I think it’s important for Nigeria and Africa to catch up. And so KOICA is providing that leverage in supporting what the government is already doing, particularly when it comes to strengthening the capacities of our young people to drive the ecosystem, within the context of investments, innovation, and trade.”

SMEDAN, she disclosed, is fully involved, adding that any project that is designed for entrepreneurship without bringing in the right partners is going to fail from inception. “SMEDAN already has the mandate to support over 48 million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria. So, no other partner is right to ensure that there is inclusion, there is access. And the way that the programme is going to be designed, going forward, which has already been implemented by SMEDAN, in collaboration with KOICA, is to ensure that the right set of people access this space,” she said.

In his welcome address, Country Director, KOICA, Mr. Eunsub Kim said, “For KOICA, development cooperation is about working together with our partners to address real needs and create lasting change.

“The value of this partnership can be seen in the skills gained, opportunities created, institutions strengthened and solutions developed through our programme.”

In her remarks, Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, said the partnership between KOICA, her commission and other stakeholders in the education sector birthed smart education in Nigeria.

“This important partnership between KOICA, Universal Basic Education, Ministry of Education, as well as other education relevant agencies, gave birth to the first phase of the Smart Education Project in Nigeria. The project aimed to demonstrate how technology, innovation, and capacity building of our teachers and administrators in schools can improve the quality of education in the country.

“UBEC established 36 plus one and more smart schools across the nation. We built a structure, well established, comprehensive, with classrooms, with boarding houses, with staff quarters, but as you know, infrastructure cannot improve education alone. So, the contribution brought by KOICA was actually the content in terms of what is to be taught in those schools. The first is the digital content development studio.

“I will tell you that over 2,000 schools we have already digitised. It’s a long journey because Nigeria has almost 300,000 primary schools, as you know. So, we are determined, and with the partnership of the relevant stakeholders, state governments, and other agencies like KOICA, we will stand up to ensure that digital education in Nigeria is here to stay.”

In his presentation, the Senior Deputy Country Director, KOICA, Ki-Hyun Baik said that the agency had spent $82.74 million on developmental projects since inception. “Our office was established in 2008, and we have spent a total amount $82.74 on developmental projects in Nigeria.

“And we are currently working on the next major developmental project to be implemented since our digital governance programme 2020-2026 is officially ending this year,” he added.