The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has urged participants in the Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship (ACE) Project’s Training of Trainers programme to become drivers of a new generation of innovative, technology-driven and globally competitive entrepreneurs.

The charge was delivered at the opening of the two-week intensive training programme in Abuja by Director Onesi-Lawani, who represented the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of SMEDAN, Mr. Charles Odii.

Addressing the participants, Onesi-Lawani said the programme attracted more than 1,100 applications, from which the Project Management Consortium shortlisted 80 candidates across the Business Management and Artificial Intelligence streams. Following a second round of interviews, 30 participants were selected for the training.

He said the successful participants are expected to become ACE-certified trainers equipped to mentor young Nigerians in leveraging technology, innovation and creativity to establish and scale investment-ready businesses. He added that the initiative is designed to strengthen the country’s entrepreneurship ecosystem by developing a pool of competent enterprise development trainers.

According to him, although significant funding opportunities exist for Nigerian startups, there remains a shortage of investment-ready businesses capable of attracting available capital. He therefore urged the participants to focus on nurturing entrepreneurs with the skills and capacity to build scalable enterprises that can compete globally.

Onesi-Lawani identified Fintech, Agritech, Healthtech, Logistics and Mobility, and the Creative Economy—including digital media, fashion, gaming, animation and film—as priority sectors with strong growth potential under the ACE Project. He noted that these sectors offer significant opportunities for innovation, job creation and economic development.

He also highlighted Nigeria’s position as Africa’s leading startup destination and home to five of the continent’s eight unicorns, urging the participants to contribute to producing entrepreneurs capable of building billion-dollar businesses. He expressed confidence that the training would reinforce the objectives of the ACE Project and support Nigeria’s aspiration to become one of the world’s top 10 economies.

The Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship (ACE) is a strategic entrepreneurship and innovation initiative of SMEDAN, implemented in partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The project seeks to strengthen Nigeria’s entrepreneurship ecosystem through entrepreneurship education, digital innovation, business incubation and acceleration, institutional capacity development and policy support, while equipping young Nigerians with the knowledge, skills, mentorship and networks needed to build scalable and globally competitive enterprises.