Tinubu approves committee for AU MSME Forum

Credit: NAN

President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, approved the composition of an oversight committee for Nigeria’s hosting of the 4th African Union Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Forum.

The Special Adviser to the President on Job Creation and MSMEs, Office of the Vice-President, Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, indicated that the forum is scheduled to hold from June 23 to June 27 in Abuja.

The theme of the 2025 edition of the forum is “Building Resilient MSMEs through Digital Innovation, Market Access and Affordable Financing for Africa.”

Adekunle-Johnson stated that the committee shall among other objectives; ensure adequate planning for successful hosting of the forum.

He added that the forum would feature paper presentations, panel discussions, sponsored side events, exhibitions, networking and MSME Business pitching events.

He said the event would also feature presentation of prizes to deserving Nigerian entrepreneurs.

Adekunle-Johnson disclosed that the committee is chaired by Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Office of the Vice-President.

He also said that the Ministers of Industry Trade and Investment, Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Art, Culture, Tourism and The Creative Economy, and the Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, will serve as members.

Some other members of the committee include Executive Director, Nigerian

Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Executive Secretary, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), the Managing Director, Bank of Industry, and the Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service.

He also said that Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, the Special Adviser to the President on Job Creation and MSMEs, Office of the Vice-President, will serve as the Host Country Coordinator and Secretary of the Committee.

AU MSME forum was initiated as an annual event by the Africa

Union Commission (AUC) to serve as strategy to empower Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

It will also develop intra-African value chains and bolster regional trade, as the hosting right is rotated among African member countries.

Egypt, Ehtiopia and Namibia had successfully hosted the first three sessions of the forum since it was introduced in 2022.