Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The wife of the Anambra State Governor, Dr. Nonye Soludo, has issued a powerful call to action for greater investment and support for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), describing them as critical drivers of economic growth, job creation, and sustainable development. The statement was made in a message posted on her Facebook page on Saturday, June 27, 2026, to mark the 2026 International Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day.
Reflecting on this year's theme, “Enhancing the Role of MSMEs as Drivers of Sustainable Growth and Innovation,” Dr. Soludo urged governments, financial institutions, development partners, and the private sector to strengthen policies and initiatives that enable small businesses to thrive. She noted that MSMEs remain the backbone of economies across the world, contributing significantly to employment generation, poverty reduction, and economic resilience, particularly in developing countries such as Nigeria.
“Today, we celebrate the resilience, innovation and determination of entrepreneurs whose ideas create jobs, strengthen families and drive sustainable economic growth,” she said. She added that despite prevailing economic challenges, many entrepreneurs have continued to demonstrate remarkable resilience and creativity.
The Anambra First Lady emphasised that thriving small businesses are essential to prosperous and inclusive societies. “Let us continue to support and empower MSMEs because when small businesses thrive, our communities prosper,” she stressed. According to her, supporting small businesses is an investment in stronger families, prosperous communities, and inclusive economic development.
Dr. Soludo reaffirmed her commitment to promoting entrepreneurship, women's economic empowerment, and sustainable livelihoods through initiatives that encourage enterprise development and self-reliance. Her call comes just days after she partnered with Fidelity Bank Plc on June 13, 2026, to empower close to 2,000 Anambra State residents with cash grants, business equipment, educational support, and food assistance.
The partnership, under her Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Initiative, provided 100 women with sewing machines, another 100 women with grinding machines, 250 schoolchildren with solar-powered school bags, and 1,500 vulnerable persons with food packs. Speaking at the event held in Awka, Dr. Soludo described the programme as an investment in people and communities, emphasising that empowering women, supporting children, and assisting vulnerable families were essential to building a healthier and more prosperous Anambra.
She also highlighted the achievements of her non-governmental initiative, revealing that more than 350,000 sanitary pads had been distributed to schoolgirls through the Healthy Living Pad Bank Programme over the past two years. Additionally, over 25,000 packs of hybrid non-GMO seeds had been provided to households, schools and communities to encourage home gardening and improve nutrition. The initiative's nutrition programme, Nonye's Healthy Living Pap, had distributed more than 25,000 packs through primary healthcare centres across the state, contributing to a significant reduction in malnutrition.
The International Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day is observed annually on June 27 by the United Nations to recognise the contributions of MSMEs to employment generation, innovation, poverty reduction, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). World MSME Day 2026 was observed under the theme 'Human-Centred Entrepreneurship in an AI-Driven Future: Economic Empowerment for the Next Generation of MSMEs'. Her remarks underscored the importance of empowering entrepreneurs through policies and initiatives that expand access to markets, skills development, and business opportunities.
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