It was a pleasure to welcome the High Commissioner of India to Nigeria, Shri G. Balasubramanian, to our headquarters. As a strategic economic partner, our discussions focused on exploring opportunities for collaboration to support our #GrowNigerian strategy. This includes increasing the production of made-in-Nigeria goods, accessing key markets, and promoting the growth of the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) subsector.

The High Commissioner was keenly interested in our initiatives aimed at fostering local industries and scaling up the capacity of MSMEs. We discussed potential partnerships that would leverage India’s expertise in technology, manufacturing, and agribusiness to accelerate our efforts toward economic diversification and self-reliance. Both countries stand to benefit from strengthened ties, particularly in sectors such as agro-processing, textiles, ICT, and renewable energy, where MSMEs play a vital role in job creation and income generation.

During his visit, Shri G. Balasubramanian toured our state-of-the-art Common Facility Centers, which provide shared industrial services to help MSMEs overcome operational challenges. These centers play a critical role in bridging gaps in skills, technology, and market access for local entrepreneurs. The High Commissioner expressed appreciation for our efforts in empowering Nigerian businesses to become more competitive and sustainable.

Another key point of discussion was the potential for knowledge-sharing and exchange programs between Nigeria and India. These initiatives would focus on capacity-building for MSMEs, enabling Nigerian entrepreneurs to gain insights into India’s successful SME models while fostering innovation and best practices. Both nations are committed to promoting shared prosperity through the transfer of technical know-how and innovative solutions.

As we continue to implement our #GrowNigerian strategy, this visit represents a significant step toward unlocking greater opportunities for MSMEs to access international markets and thrive in a competitive global economy. We look forward to furthering our collaboration with the Indian High Commission to build a robust MSME ecosystem that will contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth and development.