In Nigeria, where over 70% of people depend on agriculture for their livelihoods (FAO), micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are the often-overlooked lifeline of innovation, resilience, and economic productivity. But despite their centrality, many agricultural MSMEs face barriers such as limited access to finance, poor infrastructure, and vulnerability to climate shocks.
Recognising these challenges and seeking ways to forge stronger partnerships with the private sector to offer solutions, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)-funded Propcom+ programme convened a landmark MSME stakeholder dialogue in Lagos, Nigeria. The forum brought together agribusiness MSMEs, (some of whom are Propcom+’s partners) and innovators to catalyse collaborative solutions for sustainable growth. But this was more than a meeting. It marked a key moment in a larger system shift.
Ajrena Foods, a Propcom+ partner in the food processing value chain, shared how it has supported over 3,000 women smallholder farmers by investing in commercial offtake arrangements and achieving 100% buyback of 366mt of groundnuts. Their operations extend across Kano, Jigawa, and Bauchi, directly linking smallholders to market demand.
Another partner, Golden Penny, one of Nigeria’s largest food processors, explained its value proposition of soil to shelf in the oilseed space, supporting local processors while ensuring that international export standards are met. Its focus on farmer support, traceability, and market linkage illustrates how big brands can scale inclusivity.
Spiro, a clean energy mobility company, presented its model, which has the potential to disrupt rural mobility in positive ways: solar-powered, swappable-battery electric bikes helping farmers access markets quickly for perishable agri-food produce, while cutting down on carbon emissions. With operations across six states, their work has the potential to link energy, agriculture, and sustainability in practically scalable ways.
Discussions around blended finance and policy incentives were also top burners in this brief, but impactful dialogue. The MSME participants proposed pathways for scaling inclusive innovation and crowding in private investments.
As one stakeholder noted, “When the private sector speaks to the real constraints of smallholders and leads the innovation, transformation becomes real, not just aspirational.”
Looking Ahead
This dialogue wasn’t just about individual enterprise success, but it was aimed at triggering systemic change by underscoring the importance of diverse actors aligning incentives, resources, and influence to solve complex development problems.
For Propcom+, this aligns with its broader mission: supporting inclusive, market-driven, climate-smart agricultural transformation. By facilitating opportunities for dialogue like this, the program isn’t just solving problems; it is strengthening the market system’s ability to solve its own.
The road ahead is daunting, but the pathway to achieving sustainable food systems requires continued collaboration between the government, investors, knowledge institutions, and entrepreneurs.
