Vice President Kashim Shettima, yesterday, in Abuja, declared that the administration had taken steps to construct digital highways and bridges that would carry Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across borders and into the heart of the African market.

According to him, while over 83 per cent of employment in Africa lies in the informal economy, the continent is not short on ideas and digital innovations that offer a window to compete with the rest of the world.

Shettima spoke when he recently inaugurated the oversight committee approved by President Bola Tinubu to organise the 4th African Union (AU) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) forum, scheduled between June 23 and 27 in Abuja.

Listing some of the administration’s policies and programmes in this direction, the Vice President recalled that Nigeria chaired and spearheaded the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Negotiating Forum. It has aligned its investment, digital trade, and competition policies with the agreement.

He noted that it is for this reason that Nigeria also established a Technology Export and Digital Trade Desk to support the nation’s entrepreneurs in exporting services and digital goods across Africa.

Shettima said that this is what the i-DICE Programme, a $617.7 million investment in digital and creative enterprises, and the 3 Million Tech Talent Programme are set out to achieve by training Nigerian youths in coding, data science, and digital fluency to power the nation’s transformation.

The Vice President conveyed the President’s assurance that Nigeria is ready to lead in shaping Africa’s digital trade future, even as the nation is harmonising its laws to make cross-border commerce seamless, secure, and scalable.

“We have reformed. We have invested, and we are resolved to see this transformation through. But none of us can achieve this in isolation. That is why this forum is not just important. It is indispensable. It provides the blueprint, the platform, and the partnerships that will empower African MSMEs to become the heartbeat of our economic renewal,” he said.

Earlier, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hadejia, who is the Chairman of the organising committee, said the forum will provide a veritable platform for exchanging knowledge and ideas on MSME development and facilitate collaboration across the continent.

On his part, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi, who is a member of the organising committee, said hosting the 4th edition of the forum by Nigeria underscores growing confidence in Nigeria in the comity of nations.The forum, he pointed out, reflects the efforts made by the Tinubu administration in providing a conducive environment for small businesses in the country.