The solar-powered garment centre launched by SMEDAN and UNDP in Abuja provides fashion entrepreneurs with free access to modern equipment while ensuring a reliable and cost-effective power supply through 254 locally manufactured solar panels generating 240 kVA. This initiative reduces business costs for SMEs by eliminating expenses related to electricity, machine purchases, and maintenance, thus allowing them to operate efficiently.
Reliable Power for Business Growth
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to launch a solar-powered garment centre in Abuja. This initiative aims to reduce business costs for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) while promoting clean energy. The facility will provide fashion entrepreneurs with free access to modern garment-making equipment.
The solar-powered garment centre features 254 locally manufactured solar panels generating 240 kVA. This ensures an uninterrupted power supply while eliminating the financial burden of electricity costs, machine purchases, and maintenance for SMEs. With this setup, businesses can operate efficiently without the usual challenges of unreliable power.
During the launch, SMEDAN’s Director-General, Charles Odii, highlighted the economic struggles small businesses face. He noted that rising costs have made it difficult for many entrepreneurs to scale their operations. According to Odii, the new centre provides a cost-effective solution. “Small businesses can book a machine, work for free, and not worry about power, machine purchases, or maintenance,” he said.
Solar-Powered Garment Centre: Boosting Production and Distribution
Beyond production facilities, the solar-powered garment centre offers warehousing and distribution support. SMEDAN has secured partnerships with NIPOST and God Is Good Logistics to provide SMEs with discounted shipping rates of 15% and 20% respectively. This arrangement ensures that finished products can be delivered efficiently across Nigeria.
The centre is equipped with 120 high-quality garment machines. Each machine has the capacity to employ at least five people, thereby creating approximately 700 direct and indirect jobs every day. This initiative is expected to boost employment and productivity in Nigeria’s garment industry.
The solar-powered garment centre in Abuja is part of a broader strategy to expand similar facilities nationwide. SMEDAN has already launched similar initiatives in Katsina and Osun States. The agency aims to establish these centres across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Odii welcomed senators and members of the National Assembly at the event. He encouraged them to support the expansion of the initiative in their respective districts. “If it works here, it can work anywhere,” he stated. “We want every senatorial district to have similar facilities to boost employment and productivity.”
UNDP’s Commitment to SMEs
Elsie Gyekyewaa Attafuah, UNDP’s Resident Representative in Nigeria, praised the partnership with the Nigerian government. She emphasised that SMEs form the backbone of Nigeria’s economy and need continuous support.
“Nigeria has 40 million micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises that contribute to GDP and job creation,” Attafuah stated. “By providing sustainable energy, we are enabling these businesses to thrive.”
She also noted that the initiative positions Nigeria competitively within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which has a market of 1.4 billion people. SMEs will play a key role in expanding trade opportunities within this economic bloc.
Attafuah announced that UNDP plans to invest $1 billion in supporting 10,000 startups across Africa through the Timbuktu Initiative. She also revealed plans to establish innovation hubs in Nigerian universities, including the University of Lagos and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. These hubs will provide students and young entrepreneurs with advanced equipment for prototyping and production.
Calls for Nationwide Expansion
The National Union of Textile, Garment, and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) has urged SMEDAN and UNDP to expand this initiative to other key cities, such as Kano. According to Auwalu Abdullahi, a representative of NUTGTWN, Kano has a large tailoring industry with significant market potential. “If this initiative reaches all 36 states, it will significantly boost Nigeria’s economy,” he said. “We urge UNDP and SMEDAN to replicate this model nationwide.”
Abdullahi stressed that expanding the project to industrial hubs would create more jobs and empower thousands of tailors. He believes this step could strengthen Nigeria’s economy by enhancing local production and reducing unemployment.
The solar-powered garment centre marks a significant step in Nigeria’s drive to support SMEs and promote clean energy. By providing a sustainable business environment, it enables entrepreneurs to grow while reducing carbon footprints. With plans for national expansion, the initiative has the potential to transform the garment industry, boost local production, and strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global fashion market.