The Federal Government has announced the appointments of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Folashade Ambrose as members of the oversight Committee constituted to see to the successful hosting of the 4th African Union MSME Forum slated for Abuja.
The announcement was conveyed through a letter signed by the Deputy Chief of Staff to The President and Chairman of the committee, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia and issued on behalf of the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima on Friday, May 9, 2025.
Other members appointed to serve in the committee include Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Owan Enoh; Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service(FIRS), Zach Adedeji; Director General, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria(SMEDAN), Dr. Charles Odii; Executive Director, Nigerian Export Promotion Council(NEPC), Mrs. Nonye Ayeni; Executive Secretary, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission(NIPC), Aisha Rimi; MD/CEO, NEXIM Bank, Abba Bello; President, NACCIMA, Dele Oye and Deputy Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Union Division, Anthony Alonwu.
The Forum which is scheduled to take place between June 23 and June 27, 2025 at the Abuja Continental Hotel, is a premier platform for Micro, Small, and Medium-sized enterprises to connect, share knowledge, and explore opportunities for growth and development.
The theme of the 2025 edition of the Forum is “Building Resilient MSMEs through Digital Innovation, Market Access & Affordable Financing for Africa”.
According to Shettima, part of the objectives of the committee is to ensure the success of the forum by advancing discussions on strategy interventions for businesses and MSMEs in Africa as well as forge strategic partnerships with public and private sector stakeholders.
In her response, Ambrose described the appointment as a call to service, promising to live up to the task by ensuring that the event becomes a huge success.
While expressing profound appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for the honour, she noted that the forum fully aligns with the Lagos State Government’s commitment to drive the growth of MSMEs through the provision of of loan facility to entrepreneurs.
“MSMEs remains the drivers of growth and prosperity for any economy. They play a crucial role in job creation, revenue generation, economic diversification, and promoting financial inclusion. In Nigeria, MSMEs contribute significantly to GDP, stimulating business activities, and encouraging economic participation, especially among marginalized populations,” she said.
The 4th AU MSME Forum is projected to bring together about 400 delegates from across Africa, including policymakers, investors, stakeholders from the MSME sector.
The forum will feature paper presentations, panel discussions, sponsored side events, exhibitions/networking and MSME Business pitching events and presentation of prizes to deserving Nigerian entrepreneurs.
