MSME Aggregation and Growth Study

Micro Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) are integral to the stimulation of developing economies as exploiting the full capabilities of MSMEs will improve trade competitiveness aimed towards achieving the objectives of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). PDF Bridge Programme recognises the role that MSMEs can play in the implementation of the AfCFTA; and is supporting the National Action Committee of the AfCFTA Secretariat by funding this study. The output from this study will contribute to the initiatives to prepare the country and its stakeholders to compete in Africa’s single market, resulting from the implementation of AfCFTA, which commenced in January 2021. The key objectives of the study are: to grow MSMEs and evaluate measures to scale up their production by addressing constraints, gaps, and requirements, to identify measures to aggregate MSMEs products to meet export demand in terms of quantity and quality, to review several approaches to address production capacity, production quality, and market access issues and from review of international best practices ascertain learning points in defining the optimal pathway for Nigeria and to recommend optimal pathway or a combination of pathways that could be employed for MSMEs aggregation, growth, productivity, quality standard and market access to improve Nigeria’s export potential and capacity in line with AfCFTA implementation timetable.