{"id":67127,"date":"2025-06-02T11:58:25","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T11:58:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/?p=67127"},"modified":"2025-06-02T11:58:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T11:58:25","slug":"fcta-plans-frequent-sme-expos-to-boost-business-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/2025\/06\/02\/fcta-plans-frequent-sme-expos-to-boost-business-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"FCTA Plans Frequent SME Expos to Boost Business Growth"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Adenike Lawal<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To fuel economic expansion in the nation\u2019s capital, the Federal Capital Territory Administration is preparing to convert the Abuja SME Expo into a more frequent event, moving away from its current annual format.<\/p>\n

Speaking at the opening of this year\u2019s edition in Abuja, Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Abuja Enterprise Agency, Dr. Chudi Ugwuada-Ezirigwe, said the event could become quarterly or at least biannual.<\/p>\n

According to Emmanuel Tortiv, Head of Corporate Communications at AEA, the plan reflects a broader commitment to economic inclusion and industrial development.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Expo has become a critical driver of economic development and can no longer remain an annual event,\u201d Ugwuada-Ezirigwe stated. \u201cThere\u2019s a clear consensus among stakeholders, we need to multiply opportunities for small businesses to thrive by giving them more platforms to engage, connect, and grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Held under the theme \u201cLeveraging Financial Opportunities and Strategies to Mobilise Funding for Sustainable Growth,\u201d this year\u2019s Expo ties into President Bola Tinubu\u2019s Renewed Hope Agenda, highlighting access to funding and strategic alliances for entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

Representing the FCT Head of Civil Service, Grace Adayilo, her personal assistant, Olaide Genevieve Yongo, praised the AEA for consistently championing SME-centered programs. She described the Expo as a practical platform advancing the ease of doing business, crediting initiatives like FCT-CARES, One Village One Product, and Rural Skills Acquisition schemes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis Expo is more than a funding platform,\u201d she noted. \u201cIt offers SMEs an invaluable opportunity to build networks, attract partners, and plug into distribution and export channels.\u201d<\/p>\n

The event also received support from top FCT officials including Minister Nyesom Wike and Minister of State Dr. Mariya Mahmoud.<\/p>\n

Key stakeholders such as David Opeyemi Oke of the World Trade Center Abuja delivered the keynote address, while agencies like NAFDAC and NASENI reinforced the collaborative energy at the Expo.<\/p>\n

Launched in 2016, the Abuja SME Expo has grown into a vital platform for entrepreneurship, hosting over 1,200 businesses and attracting more than 11,000 attendees.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s edition featured expert panels, advisory sessions, and targeted clinics designed to equip entrepreneurs with tools for scalable growth.<\/p>\n

As talks advance to increase the frequency of the Expo, stakeholders believe the shift could transform Abuja\u2019s business environment, multiplying economic returns and strengthening the SME value chain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Adenike Lawal   To fuel economic expansion in the nation\u2019s capital, the Federal Capital Territory Administration is preparing to convert the Abuja SME Expo into a more frequent event, moving away from its current annual format. Speaking at the opening of this year\u2019s edition in Abuja, Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":67128,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[177,173,172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abuja-reports","category-business","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67127"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67127\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67130,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67127\/revisions\/67130"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}