If there’s one thing everyone can agree on about Nigeria, it’s that we are a nation of entrepreneurs. From bustling markets to digital start-ups, innovation is everywhere. And women play a huge part in driving this energy. They are business owners, job creators, and community builders. Yet, while women contribute so much to the country’s entrepreneurial strength, the policies that guide the MSME space haven’t always reflected their realities.
That’s where our work with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) came in.
A few months ago, Kobikam Africa, through the ICR Facility, partnered with SMEDAN to take a closer look at Nigeria’s National MSME Policy (2021–2025). The goal was simple: to support the empowerment of women-led businesses in Nigeria and ensure that the policy aligns with this vision.
We began with an in-depth desk review, going through the policy line by line. Using global gender frameworks such as ILO-WEDGE, the Gender Equality Mainstreaming (GEMS) toolkit, and the GET tools, our team identified areas where the policy could do more to support inclusive growth. These frameworks helped us benchmark Nigeria’s MSME policy against international best practices, ensuring that our recommendations were both evidence-based and practical.
After the review came the conversations — a particularly crucial part of the process. We organised validation workshops in Lagos and Abuja that brought together government officials, private sector leaders, development partners, and entrepreneurs. We expected good engagement, but what we experienced exceeded our expectations. The rooms were full of energy. Participants broke into smaller groups to discuss access to finance, digital inclusion, market opportunities, and other key issues. The exchange of ideas was rich, honest, and constructive.
Many of the insights shared during these workshops shaped the final Gender Gap Assessment Report. It wasn’t just a document of analysis; it was a reflection of the collective voice of stakeholders who care deeply about making Nigeria’s MSME space more inclusive.
The assessment revealed that while Nigeria’s entrepreneurial activity is high, women still face barriers in accessing finance, markets, and visibility within policy spaces. It also showed that even well-intentioned policies can fall short when they fail to address the specific needs of women and youth. That is why our recommendations focused on practical actions such as gender-responsive budgeting, inclusive procurement, and stronger monitoring systems to track how women and men benefit from policy interventions.
This work was more than a one-time project. It is a reminder of why policy review matters. Policies are the backbone of any system, and when they are designed or updated with everyone in mind, they can change lives. That’s why at Kobikam Africa, we focus on policy and inclusion, because when systems and structures work, businesses thrive, and women succeed without barriers.
Our collaboration with SMEDAN showed what’s possible when evidence, partnership, and commitment come together. As SMEDAN moves forward with the new MSME Policy (2026–2030), we are excited to build on this progress, continue supporting gender mainstreaming in enterprise development, and help shape a business environment where every entrepreneur has the opportunity to grow.
