The Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, has attributed growth in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to federal government reforms, including the national single window, 2025 tax reforms, and the revitalisation of the Nigerian Commodities Exchange. She spoke at an event titled "From Policy to Jobs, creating business-enabling regulatory environments" in Washington, US. The national single window, launched in March, offers a unified platform for business applications and payments across government agencies, aiming to reduce delays and improve transparency. Oduwole stated the tax reforms increased the MSME tax exemption threshold from N25 million to N100 million, streamlined levies, and introduced automation to simplify processes. She described the new tax system as more business-friendly for enterprises of all sizes. The commodities exchange, she added, supports value addition in key exports like cocoa, sesame, ginger, and cashew, enhancing Nigeria's competitiveness in regional and global markets, including the African Continental Free Trade Area. Oduwole noted these reforms are designed to help MSMEs scale up, create jobs, and attract domestic and foreign investment. She acknowledged the reforms are taking time to yield full results due to global economic pressures. Despite this, she cited Nigeria's GDP growth of over four per cent, the fastest in more than a decade, as evidence of progress. Oduwole reaffirmed the government's commitment to sustaining the reforms to drive inclusive growth and reduce poverty.
Dr Jumoke Oduwole highlights tax reforms and digital platforms as boons for MSMEs while speaking in Washington, not in a Nigerian market or industrial hub where these policies face daily scrutiny. Nigerian business owners must navigate these systems without the minister's apparent confidence in their immediate impact. If the national single window and higher tax thresholds are already transformative, the evidence has yet to reach many struggling operators outside policy conferences. The gap between policy announcements and lived experience remains wide.
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