SMEDAN and the EFCC have agreed to develop joint programmes combining youth enterprise support with cybersecurity awareness, financial responsibility, ethical practices and financial crime prevention.
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have agreed to strengthen cooperation on youth empowerment, cybersecurity and responsible entrepreneurship. The partnership will include joint capacity-building programmes, knowledge sharing and efforts to improve young entrepreneurs’ understanding of financial responsibility, ethical business practices and digital security. SMEDAN announced the agreement in a statement issued on Thursday by its Head of Corporate Affairs, Moshood Lawal, following a meeting between the agency’s Director-General, Charles Odii, and EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede in Abuja.
According to the statement, the EFCC chairman commended SMEDAN’s youth-focused programmes and described them as important interventions capable of equipping young Nigerians with useful skills and economic opportunities. “The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are set to deepen institutional collaboration, with a focus on youth empowerment, cybersecurity, capacity development and responsible entrepreneurship,” the statement read.
Olukoyede noted SMEDAN’s increasing attention to youth development through training and empowerment programmes. He said the initiatives could provide young Nigerians with the knowledge and opportunities required to participate productively in the economy while discouraging their involvement in activities capable of damaging the country’s economy and international reputation.
During the meeting, the two agencies agreed to expand their partnership through the exchange of knowledge and the organisation of joint training programmes. One of the proposed initiatives involves incorporating relevant parts of the ICSS curriculum into the EFCC’s cybersecurity training programmes.
The agencies will also consider involving the EFCC in selected SMEDAN training activities, particularly programmes intended to improve awareness of cybersecurity, financial responsibility and ethical business conduct among young people and entrepreneurs.
SMEDAN said the partnership would strengthen the connection between enterprise development and the prevention of financial crimes. “This will ensure that young entrepreneurs are equipped not only to start and grow businesses, but also to understand the importance of operating within the law and protecting their businesses in an increasingly digital economy,” the agency stated.
Odii stressed the importance of collaboration among government institutions in delivering programmes under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly those directed at Nigeria’s growing youth population. According to the statement, he said youth empowerment required more than the provision of a single skill or opportunity.
He identified skills development, access to opportunities, mentorship, digital knowledge, financial literacy and responsible enterprise practices as important elements of a broader approach to supporting young Nigerians. The proposed collaboration is expected to combine SMEDAN’s enterprise-development programmes with the EFCC’s knowledge of cybersecurity and financial crime prevention.
The agencies did not disclose when the joint training initiatives would begin or how many young people and entrepreneurs would participate.