Africa CEO Club Strengthens Ties with SMEDEN to Drive SME Growth, Investment, and Intra-African Trade
Abuja, Nigeria — The Africa CEO Club has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing entrepreneurship and enterprise development across the continent following a strategic visit to the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDEN) last week.
During the high-level meeting, Dr. Fatoumatta Gaye, President of the Africa CEO Club, led a delegation to engage the Director-General of SMEDEN, where both parties discussed robust partnership opportunities to accelerate SME growth, investment attraction, and intra-African trade.
The meeting underscored the strong alignment between the missions of Africa CEO Club and SMEDEN — both organizations share a vision of empowering entrepreneurs, fostering job creation, and promoting sustainable enterprise development across Africa.
In a progressive move, the Director-General of SMEDEN expressed full support for the Africa CEO Club’s initiatives and opened all doors for partnership, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in scaling SME impact nationwide.
Key areas of collaboration discussed include:
Co-hosting the Africa Blueprint Summit and the National Business Masterclass (NBM) — providing a joint platform to equip entrepreneurs with the knowledge and networks to expand their enterprises.
Launching a joint SMEDEN x ACC Enterprise Accelerator Program dedicated to nurturing high-potential SMEs through mentorship, export readiness, and access to finance.
Hosting policy and investment roundtables connecting business leaders, policymakers, and investors to foster public-private dialogue and reform-driven collaboration.
Capacity-building programs to train Nigerian SMEs on digital transformation, branding, export competitiveness, and investment attraction.
Connecting Nigerian SMEs to investors across Africa and the diaspora through the Africa CEO Club’s extensive continental and international network.
Joint SME showcase and pitch events during upcoming Africa CEO Club programs to spotlight innovative Nigerian enterprises and attract new investment.
Dr. Fatoumatta Gaye commended the Director-General and SMEDEN for their visionary leadership, stating:
The Africa CEO Club is committed to building bridges for African businesses to scale, invest, and compete globally. Our partnership with SMEDEN represents a shared vision — positioning Nigeria as a hub for SME innovation, resilience, and growth across the continent.
As part of the discussions, the Africa CEO Club extended an invitation for SMEDEN to take a leadership role within the Africa CEO Club Advisory Council and for the Director-General to serve as a keynote speaker at one of the Club’s upcoming flagship events.
The collaboration will also feature strong media visibility and co-branding opportunities, reinforcing both institutions’ commitment to enterprise development, continental integration, and inclusive economic growth.
