The FATE Institute has emphasised the necessity for inclusive coverage reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), forward of its eleventh Coverage Dialogue Sequence, scheduled for Wednesday, November 19, 2025.
Addressing a media briefing in Lagos, Amaka Nwaokolo, Director of FATE Institute, mentioned the organisation exists to bridge the hole between analysis and coverage, guaranteeing that entrepreneurship continues to drive inclusive development.
“The Coverage Dialogue Sequence started as a platform for engagement between policymakers, enterprise leaders, researchers, and growth companions.”
“Annually’s theme displays evolving coverage priorities, and this yr’s deal with industrialisation by means of enterprise marks a vital shift from entrepreneurship for survival to entrepreneurship for structural transformation, ” Nwaokolo mentioned.
Chairperson of the 2025 PDS Technical Committee, Cecilia Akintomide mentioned, Nigeria’s industrial future is determined by the productiveness of hundreds of thousands of small companies.
She known as for a bottom-up strategy that locations SMEs on the coronary heart of commercial worth chains relatively than focusing solely on massive companies.
“Nigeria’s industrial future gained’t be constructed by just a few large gamers. It will likely be constructed by hundreds of thousands of small producers folks upgrading their abilities, bettering productiveness, and rising collectively to energy a extra inclusive economic system, “Akintomide mentioned.
Senior Analysis Fellow on the FATE Institute, Dr. Wilson Erumebor shared preliminary insights from stories to be launched on the major Dialogue, together with the 2025 State of Entrepreneurship in Nigeria Report and Past the Hustle: Nigeria’s Industrial Reawakening.
He mentioned, the 2025 State of Entrepreneurship Index rose barely to 0.47, signaling cautious optimism amongst entrepreneurs. Youth-led companies reported development of 65.8 per cent, whereas female-led companies outperformed male-led ventures with 69.2 per cent reporting development.
Erumebor famous that, solely 26.3 per cent of female-led enterprises accessed institutional credit score, highlighting persistent structural challenges.
“Entrepreneurs created over 14,000 new jobs this yr, but internet employment fell by about 2,300,” Erumebor mentioned. “This exhibits that regardless of a difficult economic system, SMEs are doing every thing they will to outlive, develop, and shield jobs.”
Vice-chair of the 2025 PDS Technical Committee and president of the Affiliation of Small Enterprise Homeowners (ASBON), Dr Femi Egbesola mentioned, SMEs face day by day operational challenges, together with unreliable energy provide, restricted entry to finance, and inconsistent authorities insurance policies.
“When small companies thrive, industries are born, and economies rework,” Egbesola mentioned. “Nigeria’s industrial journey has been top-heavy and bottom-fragile; actual change will come when insurance policies actively help SMEs on the grassroots.”
The eleventh Coverage Dialogue Sequence goals to offer actionable suggestions for policymakers, enterprise leaders, and entrepreneurs to strengthen Nigeria’s SME ecosystem and advance inclusive industrialisation.
