SMEDAN and EFCC partner to boost youth empowerment and cybersecurity

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have agreed to strengthen their partnership to promote youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, and cybersecurity.

During a meeting in Abuja, SMEDAN Director-General Charles Odii and EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede discussed initiatives to equip young Nigerians with practical skills to discourage involvement in cybercrime. A central component of this collaboration involves the proposed Inspire, Create, Start and Scale (ICSS) Institute, which will offer National Diploma programmes. The agencies plan to integrate ICSS curriculum components into the EFCC’s Cybersecurity Research and Training Centre.

The partnership aims to foster responsible entrepreneurship by teaching young business owners about financial responsibility, ethical practices, and legal compliance in a digital economy. Both agencies emphasized the importance of patronizing locally made products to support national economic development.