The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has partnered with global technology company Zoho to expand access to digital tools and cloud-based business solutions for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across Nigeria.
Under the partnership, Zoho will provide wallet credits worth up to ₦20 billion to as many as 25,000 eligible MSMEs within the SMEDAN ecosystem. The initiative is designed to reduce the cost barriers associated with adopting digital technology and help businesses improve productivity, operations and competitiveness.
The programme aligns with SMEDAN’s GROW Nigerian strategy, which focuses on business formalisation, access to finance and markets, productivity and digital adoption. It also complements the agency’s partnership with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to facilitate the free registration of 250,000 businesses.
Eligible businesses will have access to more than 60 Zoho applications, including business email and collaboration tools, customer relationship management and cloud accounting solutions. The partnership will also provide participating businesses with training, workshops, one-on-one consultations and technical support to help them effectively integrate the technologies into their operations.
SMEDAN Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Charles Odii, said the initiative would help businesses move beyond survival towards sustainable growth by improving their ability to formalise, enhance productivity and access new markets.
Zoho Nigeria Country Head, Kehinde Ogundare, said the partnership would reduce barriers to accessing business technology while providing the training and support required for MSMEs to maximise digital tools.
The initiative is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s digital MSME ecosystem, improve business efficiency and support the growth of more competitive and resilient small businesses.
