The Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Pan-Atlantic University, in collaboration with the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), has introduced a new platform aimed at improving funding and growth opportunities for agricultural small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across Nigeria.
The initiative, titled “Funding the Future: Powering Nigeria’s Agric-SMEs,” was unveiled during a two-day networking event in Lagos that brought together agribusiness owners, financial institutions, business development service providers, and government agencies.
The event focused on strategies to help agric-SMEs scale operations, strengthen value chains, and achieve long-term sustainability.
According to PUNCH, the gathering featured panel discussions, funding dialogues, and success stories from some of Nigeria’s most resilient food and agriculture SMEs.
Head of Alumni Relations and Support Services at EDC, Dr. Nnenna Ugwu, reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to empowering agricultural SMEs to attract investors and achieve sustainable growth.
“Today, we are utilising Business Development Service Providers to support small businesses on the AGRA platform and explore how they can be funded. And when we mean funding, it is funding that works, funding for the future, and sustainable funding,” she said.
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Dr. Ugwu emphasized that the collaboration with AGRA aligns with EDC’s mission to build and support entrepreneurs across the country.
“EDC commits its resources to training and hand-holding small businesses. We don’t give money, but we train entrepreneurs to be ready for funding and connect them with those who can provide grants or seed funding,” she added.
AGRA’s Country Director, Dr. Rufus Idris, explained that the partnership seeks to strengthen the business development ecosystem and enhance the capacity of agricultural SMEs.
“We’re here to see how to strengthen the ecosystem of business development service providers and ensure there’s a strong connection between SMEs seeking to grow or stabilise and those providing the right kind of support,” he said.
He further noted that the collaboration reflects AGRA’s broader mission to transform Africa’s food systems and support Nigeria’s agricultural goals.
“Nigeria aims to increase agricultural output, boost food production, and feed its growing population while reducing post-harvest losses. To achieve this, we cannot focus only on smallholder farmers; we must also empower private-sector players, including agric SMEs that face challenges such as limited finance, market access, energy costs, and operational inefficiencies,” Idris explained.
A participant at the event and Chief Executive Officer of Doctor Fish Agric Consult, Israel Yusuf, praised EDC for creating a platform that fosters collaboration and problem-solving within the agricultural sector.
“I want to appreciate EDC for what they are doing. This is a timely intervention, bringing together the different actors in the value chain to discuss challenges and solutions. EDC believes that every challenge has a solution,” he said.
The partnership between EDC and AGRA is expected to unlock new opportunities for agricultural SMEs to access funding, enhance their business capacity, and drive inclusive growth within Nigeria’s agricultural economy.
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