The Director-General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Charles Odii, has called on entrepreneurs and key stakeholders to adopt the Inspire–Create–Start–Scale (ICSS) framework as a catalyst for enterprise growth and economic development.
Gatekeepers News reports that Odii made the appeal at the launch of the Inspire–Create–Start–Scale for All (ICSS4ALL) programme in Abuja—an initiative designed to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from ideation to expansion and market access.
The programme, developed by German Agency for International Cooperation in partnership with SMEDAN and Kaduna Business School, is implemented through GOPA Consultancy.
He urged prospective entrepreneurs to take advantage of platforms such as ICSSLearn, partner institutions, and the ICSS Institute, describing them as a structured nationwide pathway for business development.
Odii also called on government institutions at all levels to integrate the ICSS framework into MSME policies and programmes, while encouraging financial institutions to tailor lending products to reflect the improved risk profiles of certified entrepreneurs.
“To our ICSS alumni, what you have earned is real and recognised. The GROW Fund and the ICSSLearn platform exist to build on the foundation you have laid. Stay connected to this ecosystem, access the financing you now qualify for, and scale your businesses. Your progress is the programme’s most powerful evidence.”
“ICSS graduates come to you structured, documented and prepared. The curriculum has changed their risk profile. We urge you to develop products and financing windows that reflect that change,” he said.
While noting that more than 14,000 entrepreneurs have already been trained, Odii emphasised that the initiative is still in its early phase, with plans to scale nationally through institutionalisation, digital learning, and expanded financing.
Data presented at the event highlighted the programme’s early impact. The ICSS framework has reached over 42,250 individuals across six states and created 17,967 jobs, with women accounting for 60 percent—an indicator of its role in promoting inclusive economic participation.
The initiative has also strengthened Nigeria’s entrepreneurship support ecosystem, deploying more than 380 trainers, facilitators, and coaches, alongside about 100 master trainers, across over 40 partner organisations.
These efforts come amid persistent challenges in Nigeria’s MSME sector, where small businesses account for about 97 percent of enterprises, nearly 90 percent of employment, and close to half of GDP, yet continue to face constraints such as limited access to finance, fragmented training systems, and weak market linkages.
Earlier, Country Director of GIZ Nigeria, Markus Wagner, said the ICSS framework was designed to address these structural gaps by creating a standardised pathway for enterprise development.
He noted that although MSMEs are central to innovation and job creation, many entrepreneurs still lack access to structured support systems necessary for sustainable growth.
Wagner added that the programme’s long-term impact lies not only in participation figures but also in the development of a sustainable network of trainers and institutions capable of delivering entrepreneurship support nationwide. He also highlighted the ICSSLearn digital platform as a tool to expand access, particularly among young Nigerians leveraging digital solutions.
Stakeholders at the event observed that the absence of standardised entrepreneurship training has historically weakened the bankability of MSMEs, as financial institutions often lack reliable benchmarks to assess creditworthiness.
They argued that integrating training, certification, and financing through platforms such as the ICSS Institute and the GROW Fund could bridge this gap by producing more investment-ready businesses.
The ICSS4ALL convening, held on April 21 and 22 in Abuja, brought together government agencies, development partners, financial institutions, and private sector actors to assess progress and promote wider adoption of the framework.
With policymakers working to embed ICSS into the National MSME Policy, analysts say the initiative’s success will depend on sustained institutional commitment, policy alignment, and the willingness of financial institutions to translate improved enterprise capacity into increased lending.
“For Nigeria, where MSMEs underpin livelihoods and economic resilience, the scale and effectiveness of such reforms could prove decisive in converting entrepreneurial activity into broad-based growth,” the event concluded.
