TheCable

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) says it has set up a climate and energy desk to assist in tackling climate change. 

In a statement on Tuesday, the agency said the initiative tagged “SMEDAN climate and green energy desk” (SCGED) was introduced by Charles Odii, the newly-appointed director general. 

According to the statement, the initiative is aimed at empowering and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) “actively” engaged in the development of clean energy solutions and other climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

“The urgency of this initiative cannot be overstated, as the climate crisis increasingly affects important sectors of Nigeria’s economy, most notably agriculture and sustainable power generation,” the statement reads.

“A 2022 study conducted by the Centre for Climate Change and Development at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University in Ebonyi State raised a red flag, stating that Nigeria is already losing N100 billion to the effects of climate change and would lose as much as N460 billion by 2050 unless decisive action is taken.

“The nation is already grappling with extreme weather events such as flooding, desertification, and erratic rainfall patterns which disproportionately affect small businesses in underserved communities.”

SMEDAN said the initiative would play a pivotal role by fostering entrepreneurial innovations that address the pressing challenges posed by climate change.

“It will conduct thorough research and development to identify the specific obstacles encountered by SMEs in the climate entrepreneurship sector,” the agency said.

“Additionally, it will establish a comprehensive database of SMEs operating in this field and provide them with training and capacity-building programs to enhance their skills and knowledge.

One of the cornerstones of SCEID is to offer funding support, helping SMEs tackling the climate crisis leverage both local and global funding opportunities. The initiative also plans to establish partnerships with global organizations to foster collaboration in delivering innovative solutions for environmental sustainability.”

The statement quoted the DG of SMEDAN as saying that the initiative reflects the agency’s commitment to equipping Nigerian SMEs with the funding, skills and networks that channel local innovations to solve problems within the country and the world.

Inga Stefanowicz, the head of the section for green and digital economy at the EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, lauded the initiative.

She highlighted its alignment with the EU’s core priorities, particularly addressing climate challenges related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and economic diversification aimed at generating employment opportunities.