The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has partnered with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to launch the 'Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship' (ACE). This digital programme aims to drive innovation in Nigeria's entrepreneurship ecosystem. The project was announced during a KOICA media engagement in Abuja, themed "Showcasing KOICA's Development Impact in Nigeria." The programme targets young businesses and people within Abuja and its environs.
According to Head of Inclusive Growth at the UNDP, Claire Henshaw, the Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship will provide a strong platform for the entrepreneurship ecosystem to drive digital innovation, skills acquisition, and digital transformation. Henshaw emphasized the importance of Nigeria and Africa catching up with the advent of AI and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. KOICA is providing leverage to support the government's efforts to strengthen the capacities of young people to drive the ecosystem, particularly in investments, innovation, and trade.
SMEDAN is fully involved in the project, with Henshaw noting that any entrepreneurship project without the right partners is likely to fail. SMEDAN has the mandate to support over 48 million Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria. The programme is designed to ensure inclusion and access, with SMEDAN collaborating with KOICA to provide the right set of people access to this space.
Country Director, KOICA, Mr. Eunsub Kim, welcomed the partnership, stating that development cooperation is about working together with partners to address real needs and create lasting change. Kim noted that the value of this partnership can be seen in the skills gained, opportunities created, institutions strengthened, and solutions developed through their programme.
The partnership between KOICA and other stakeholders in the education sector has also birthed smart education in Nigeria. Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, noted that this partnership gave birth to the first phase of the Smart Education Project in Nigeria. The project aimed to demonstrate how technology, innovation, and capacity building of teachers and administrators in schools can improve the quality of education in the country.
As part of the Smart Education Project, UBEC established over 36 smart schools across the nation. The project built a comprehensive structure, providing well-established and equipped learning environments. This initiative showcases the potential for technology and innovation to improve education in Nigeria.
The collaboration between UNDP, SMEDAN, and KOICA highlights the importance of partnerships in driving development and creating lasting change in Nigeria. The Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship and the Smart Education Project demonstrate the potential for digital innovation and technology to transform Nigeria's entrepreneurship ecosystem and education sector.
Key points
- UNDP, SMEDAN, and KOICA partner to drive digital innovation in Nigeria's entrepreneurship ecosystem.
- The Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship aims to provide a platform for digital innovation, skills acquisition, and digital transformation.
- The partnership has also led to the establishment of smart schools across Nigeria, improving the quality of education.
