Driving Digital Transformation for Nigerian Small Businesses

In a major boost for Nigeria’s entrepreneurial sector, Zoho, the global technology company, has teamed up with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to provide affordable cloud solutions to 25,000 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The partnership will make available up to ₦20 billion in wallet credits through Zoho’s platform. This initiative aligns with SMEDAN’s GROW Nigerian strategy, which focuses on formalization, productivity improvements, access to finance, and digital adoption.

“Our focus at SMEDAN is to ensure that small businesses move from survival to growth,” said Charles Odii, Director-General/CEO of SMEDAN. “Digital capability is now essential for this journey, and our partnership with Zoho provides a practical pathway for thousands of MSMEs in our ecosystem.”

The program goes beyond simple technology access by including training sessions, workshops, one-on-one business consultations, and ongoing technical support – all designed to help businesses develop the digital skills needed to thrive.

“MSMEs are fundamental to Nigeria’s economic development, but technology can only deliver its full potential when businesses can actually use it,” explained Kehinde Ogundare, Country Head of Zoho Nigeria. “By reducing access barriers and providing comprehensive support, we aim to help Nigerian MSMEs streamline operations and accelerate growth.”

The partnership reflects Zoho’s “transnational localism” approach – combining global technology expertise with investments in creating self-sustaining local economies.

Eligible businesses can use these credits for any of Zoho’s 60+ applications, including:

• Zoho Workplace (business email and collaboration)
• Bigin by Zoho CRM (customer relationship management)
• Zoho Books (cloud accounting)