AACIS’26 Set to Open $40 Trillion Africa-Caribbean Market

By: Michael Mike

The 2026 edition of the Aquarian Consult’s Afri-Caribbean Investment Summit (AACIS’26) will focus on boosting trade, investment, and private sector partnerships between Africa and the Caribbean, targeting a combined market valued at $40 trillion across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas.

The Chief of Staff of Aquarian Consult Ltd, Serumun Ubwa, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Abuja, ahead of the summit scheduled for March 23–28, 2026.

She described AACIS as a strategic platform designed to connect African businesses with Caribbean partners, attract foreign investment, and promote sustainable economic collaboration across key sectors.

Ubwa highlighted that the inaugural AACIS in 2025 achieved landmark outcomes, including the establishment of the first direct flight from Africa to Saint Kitts and Nevis, the signing of Memoranda of Understanding in agriculture and cultural exchange, and a $40 million deep-water port agreement. She said these successes set the stage for the 2026 summit, which will expand opportunities for trade and investment.

She revealed that the 2026 summit will introduce two specialized events: the Afri-Caribbean Agriculture and Food Security Summit (March 23–24) and the Afri-Caribbean Health Summit (March 26), running alongside the main Investment Summit from March 25–28.

“By focusing on agriculture and healthcare, we aim to strengthen regional cooperation, enhance food security, open new export markets for African producers, and support policy frameworks that reduce import dependence in the Caribbean,” Ubwa said.

She added that the summit will feature structured Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Government (B2G) matchmaking sessions, an Investor Deal Room managed by investment promotion agencies, and sector-specific engagements in agriculture, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, tourism, digital technology, and the creative economy.

Ubwa added that over 2,000 participants are expected, including current and former heads of government, sovereign wealth funds, multilateral institutions, and private sector leaders. She emphasised that AACIS seeks to strengthen South-South cooperation and increase Africa-Caribbean trade, which currently represents less than one per cent of total trade between the regions.

Interested participants are expected to register for the summit at www.aquarianconsult.com/AACIS.

AACIS’26 Set to Open $40 Trillion Africa-Caribbean Market

Vice President Shettima Urges Stakeholders To Expand Scope Of Support For MSMEs

Says govt. agencies, private sector partners must harness Nigeria’s potential in digital space, agriculture

By: Our Reporter

The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has implored stakeholders, including financial institutions, government agencies, and the private sector, to expand their scope of support for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria.

Emphasizing their critical role in economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction, he urged them to leverage technology to enhance the MSMEs sector, particularly for young Nigerians in the digital world.

Senator Shettima stated this on Tuesday when he received the 2025-2026 MSME report during the Nigerian MSMEs stakeholders meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“We have our jobs cut out for us. SMEDAN is doing an awesome job, so also is ITF. Every stakeholder here, from NAFDAC, to CAC, NITDA, Export Promotion Council, and NIPC, is putting in their best, and we are mightily proud of all of you,” he told the stakeholders at the meeting.

Urging government agencies and private sector partners to harness the nation’s potential in the digital space, agriculture, and other key areas that can benefit MSMEs, VP Shettima asked them to take a cue from India, which generated $130 billion in 2025 from business process outsourcing alone, noting that the potentials in that outsourcing space are tremendous.

“So, we need to really harness our potential in the digital space, in agriculture,” he added.

The Vice President thanked the stakeholders for doing a great job in advancing MSMEs in Nigeria, assuring that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will do all it can to ensure the growth of small businesses in the country.

Speaking earlier, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, commended the Vice President, describing the meeting as an overview of what has been done by MSMEs over a period of time.

He noted that all the participants and stakeholders facilitating the success of the MSMEs programme were in attendance to appraise the achievements of the programme, even as he revealed that over 250,000 jobs were created and more are on the way.

The Minister also commended the Special Adviser to the President on MSMEs and Job Creation (Office of the Vice President), Mr. Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, for bringing all stakeholders in MSMEs in Africa to converge on Abuja to showcase Nigeria and chat the way forward in enhancing the development of the sector on the continent.

Presenting the MSME report to the Vice President, the Special Adviser to the President on Job Creation and MSMEs, Adekunle-Johnson, gave a brief rundown of how the Renewed Hope Agenda, under President Tinubu, has repositioned MSMEs as a central pillar of national economic transformation and job creation.

He noted that the core focus over the past year had been on improving access to affordable financing, reducing operational constraints through shared infrastructure, strengthening market linkages, and institutionalising recognition frameworks that promote excellence and competitiveness.

On the MSME space in 2025, he noted that access to funding had been expanded through MSME Clinics, which serve as a bridge between the federal government, state governments, and small businesses, thereby creating market visibility, business formalisation opportunities, and access to instant on-site grants for outstanding businesses at each clinic.

Speaking on job creation, the presidential aide disclosed that in the past year, over 11 shared hubs have been deployed, creating more than 250,000 jobs across the country.

On his office’s roadmap for 2026, he said the focus will be on strengthening coordination with partner agencies and state governments, targeting the de-risking of funds, the National MSME Awards, sustainable job creation programmes, capacity development, and improved access to funding.

In his Goodwill message, the Director General of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Charles Odii, commended President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima for “setting the blueprint for Small and Medium Enterprises growth in Nigeria.”

He said the shared facilities created by the MSMEs by the office of the Vice President have engaged the people, even in late hours of the day, creating more jobs, just as he noted that “this is the first time the people have been been so fascinated about the policy of government.”

The Managing Directors of Corporate Affairs Commission, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) also outlined how their respective agencies had benefitted thousands of MSMEs in the past year.

Representatives of Access Bank, Zenith Bank, and Wema Bank all committed to partnering with the Office of the Vice President to ensure that MSMEs get the support they need, even as all stakeholders play their respective roles in moving the Nigerian economy forward.

Vice President Shettima Urges Stakeholders To Expand Scope Of Support For MSMEs

FG Launches Single-Digit Loan Scheme to Empower 6,122 Nigerian Entrepreneurs

By: Michael Mike

The Federal Government has unveiled a landmark financing programme aimed at transforming Nigeria’s entrepreneurial landscape by providing 6,122 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with access to single-digit interest loans under the SMEDAN Inspire–Create–Start–Scale (ICSS) programme.

Launched in Abuja on Tuesday, the initiative is a collaboration between the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and Kaduna Business School, with implementation support from GOPA Worldwide Consultants.

The loan facility will be managed by Jaiz Bank, offering START loans ranging from ₦250,000 to ₦2 million, and SCALE loans between ₦1 million and ₦5 million.

Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, highlighted access to finance as a major barrier to entrepreneurship in Nigeria, particularly for youth and underserved communities.

He said the programme is not charity, but a deliberate investment in productivity and sustainable economic growth.

“Training alone is not enough. We must pair it with mentorship, financing, and market access to ensure young entrepreneurs can transform ideas into thriving businesses,” Olawande said. He identified green growth, digital transformation, and practical skills development as key priorities for preparing Nigerian youth for today’s economy.

SMEDAN Director-General, Charles Odii, said the ICSS programme standardises entrepreneurship training to meet global best practices, making participants bankable and investment-ready.

“Many MSMEs have undergone training in the past but could not access funding. ICSS now ensures that every graduate with a viable business plan can immediately qualify for financing,” Odii explained. He added that the loans are intended to support productive assets such as machinery, tools, and equipment to scale operations and generate employment.

Odii confirmed that while 100 entrepreneurs are benefiting in the pilot phase, the broader target is 6,122 graduates nationwide, with women and youth-led enterprises given priority.

Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy, Dr. Karen Jansen, emphasised Germany’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s MSME ecosystem. She described the ICSS programme as a sustainable model, integrating training, mentorship, and responsible financing to reduce lender risk while promoting long-term business growth.

Rukayat Yusuf, a beneficiary specialising in natural cosmetics and agro-processing for export, described the initiative as transformative. “This facility will allow women entrepreneurs like me to scale production, reach new markets, and strengthen our competitiveness locally and internationally,” she said.

The launch drew participation from government officials, development partners, financial institutions, and private sector leaders, signalling a concerted push to empower Nigerian youth and SMEs to drive economic growth.

FG Launches Single-Digit Loan Scheme to Empower 6,122 Nigerian Entrepreneurs