A landmark collaboration between the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has culminated in the launch of a state-of-the-art garment-making hub in Abuja. The facility is powered entirely by a 240 kVA solar energy system, designed to eliminate the crippling operational costs that stifle growth for Nigeria’s fashion entrepreneurs.
The centre provides a game-changing solution to the nation’s unreliable power grid by drawing energy from 254 locally manufactured solar panels. This ensures an uninterrupted and cost-effective power supply for 120 high-quality garment machines. Small business owners can now access this equipment completely free of charge, removing the financial burdens of electricity bills, equipment purchase, and maintenance.
“Small businesses can book a machine, work for free, and not worry about power, machine purchases, or maintenance,” stated Charles Odii, Director-General of SMEDAN. He emphasized that this model directly addresses the rising costs that have made it difficult for entrepreneurs to scale their operations.
Beyond production, the initiative offers a comprehensive support system, including warehousing and distribution services. Strategic partnerships with NIPOST and God Is Good Logistics provide SMEs with discounted shipping rates of 15% and 20% respectively, streamlining the process of getting finished products to customers nationwide. This integrated approach is projected to create approximately 700 direct and indirect jobs daily.
Elsie Gyekyewaa Attafuah, UNDP’s Resident Representative in Nigeria, highlighted the project’s strategic importance, noting that Nigeria’s 40 million micro, small, and and medium-scale enterprises are the “backbone of the economy.” She explained that providing sustainable energy helps position these businesses to compete within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a massive market of 1.4 billion people.
Attafuah also announced UNDP’s broader commitment to African innovation, including the $1 billion Timbuktu Initiative to support 10,000 startups across the continent and plans to establish innovation hubs at Nigerian universities like the University of Lagos and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
The Abuja facility is a pilot in a larger national strategy, with similar SMEDAN hubs already active in Katsina and Osun states. The ultimate goal is to replicate this model in every senatorial district. This vision is strongly supported by the National Union of Textile, Garment, and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), which has urged for an expansion to other industrial centres like Kano to further boost local production and employment.
Sources
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